New friends
by HeiKitsune
Summary: Fenrir's first day as BLADE has him fighting giant alien wolves, meeting a thirteen year old girl who has a thing for mechs, and a talking potato. All the while trying to get used to living on this wild planet with no memory.
1. Chapter 1

**To be honest I don't like doing retellings like this. It's easy since it's really just copy and paste but most people already know the plot, and would rather read something with a little more imagination too it. But to give Fenrir's back story more impact and depth, I am going to have to introduce him in the story just a little. Especially since I gave him a name instated of just calling him Cross or X.**

 **This is what you get when the person you play as is customizable character.**

 **I do not own Xenoblade Chronicles x**

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Chapter one

"Raagh!" Fenrir slashed back at the sowrd sized teeth of the huge equivalent of wolf on Mira. The large beast snapped and bit him as it tried to devour him whole. He side stepped and dodged the massive chomps cutting at its fangs with his knife. Elma is at his back firing her guns at another Grex in front of her as it staffed side to side and roared at her as her bullets kept the beast back. The walls of NLA are only a few feet away from their battle. Two more dead Grexs pilled around them. Their bodies long stiff form their fight with Elma and Fenrir.

Fenrir ducked under the beast paws as it swiped at him. He slashed back at it, drawing blood and a roar form the monster. He stabbed at its back legs, crippling the beast to its knees. He was fast, hacking away at the monster's vital points and tendons with blinding speed and turns. Sliding form under the monster Fenrir lacerated its throat as it let out one final desperate scream before dying. He didn't waste a moment to rejoin Elma as she continued to keep the beast's twin at bay.

"Get in close and bring him down!" She ordered. Reloading her guns as Fenrir sped past her. The monster set its eyes on him and snapped its jaws but Fenrir side stepped the bites and ducked under it. He jumped back, just barely missing getting smashed by the alien monster's foot. Dirt and debris flew up to blind him but Fenrir ignored them and slashed at its right leg then its left. Sliding under it just before the Grex fell on its belly.

"Now Elma! Finish him!" He yelled to her. Taking at his rifle to fire off a few rounds in the beast's hide to keep its attention.

Swiftly Elma dashed at the alien mongrel and killed it by imbedding her blades in its skull. It gave one last defiance bellow, purple blood spraying out of its head. None of it hit her as she flipped off the dead beast and sheathed her blades.

She looked to Fenrir, who had put his gun back on his back, and apologized. "Sorry about that. They normally don't get this close to the city. Are you ok?"

He nodded then looked to the walls of the city.

A single city…

The last city of mankind….

Those words held a lot more weight to them then he thought now that he can see the city for himself.

While trekking through this land called Primordia, Elma had told him what had happened to Earth and how they ended up on Mira. It's a little hard to believe the whole Earth is just gone. Everything that them-humans-have done as a species is lost. Their history, their past, their home.

All of it gone because two advance races decided to have a hissy fit over their planet.

A part him balled his fist in rage at it all. It pissed him off at the mere concept of bunch random people destroying his home. And yet there is this calm that's covering him, a senses of ease that he believed came from his amnesia.

Or maybe something else.

Elma noticed the thoughtful look on his face. For the few hours she spent traveling with him, she started to pick on a few of his ticks. Like now when his arms are crossed and his face is turned into a fierce frown, he is thinking. Most likely about the human race's current predicament.

"I understand that all this at once can be a little overwhelming." She spoke to him, his emerald green eyes turned her. "For now just take it one step at a time. Don't try to rush anything."

That wasn't really his point. He really just has a lot questions. Who were the aliens that destroyed earth?

Why were they fighting?

Why was Earth chosen as the battle ground?

And did they really get every single person on earth on these so called arks?

To be honest that's the most farfetched out all this to him. The fact that they could fit all of Earth's history on these so called 'Arks'.

But he nodded in agreement with her any way. It would be better to get into the city before something even hungrier shows up.

"Alright." She started leading him to the city, but her eyes wondered to dead husk of the Grexs they just killed.

Noticing her stopping, Fenrir tilted his head. Wondering if something is wrong.

"Hm? Oh well." She said when she noticed his eyes on her. "It's just…we landed around so much wildlife. Our presences must be causing a huge fluxuation the environment here."

Looking at the beast he couldn't deny that. This spot was probably a hunting ground of theirs.

"But," Elma's eyes seem to harden in determination, yet it's not a steel like resolve. It is a steel like understanding. "Even though I say that, we can't just sit around and wait to be someone else's food. I've learned that there is very fine line between self-defense and provoking a fight."

As those titanium blue eyes looked into his, he too understood. He understood what she must have done, what she must have seen, to find that line.

"We must walk that line Fenrir. Balancing out when to pull out our blades and when to stay them." It wasn't an order. It wasn't a demand. It was a fact. Even though something in him told him she is wrong, those blue eyes, filled with an intelligence he couldn't pin point, made him agree with her.

Even so….

"Good." She pointed to the sliver wall surrounding the city. "Let's get into the city before we run into more trouble. It may just help you remember something." Elma walked ahead of him.

Even so, as Fenrir looked at his hand, he question himself; Dose even know how to stay his blade?

As Fenrir leaned against the elevator rail, looking over to Primordia's early afternoon horizon, Elma thought she should take this time to evaluate this young man. Their ride up taking a minute or two.

' _And young is right. He looks about twenty-three.'_ She guessed.

He definitely six feet and one inch, give or take a few centimeters. He stands tall, imposing, using his height to his advantage and never really slouching. Always on guard. Even now, as he leaned on the rail, his arms crossed, she noticed how his left hand dangled just barely over his knife, just in case she would try and attack. Showing that he still doesn't just her very much.

' _He's also left handed.'_ She observed. _'Another rare trait like his hair._ ' She wondered if it was dyed. White and black mixed aren't normal hair colors, but maybe he chose them. His style of hair is even weirder. Being a bit of cat person she couldn't help but imagining those strange tuffs of hair on his head as cat ears. But he really is more of dog with his silent expression that is very hard to read at times.

During their few run-ins with indigen on their way here, she found he takes orders well, but giving them would is a bit of hassle. He would say one, or two words and she didn't know if he wanted her to attack or fall back until he did it himself and she just acted accordingly. And he never really showed his anger at her, nor disgust, or interest. Even when she told him about the Earth being gone, he was still calm and logical. The last time she ever saw him show any emotion was when she got him to blush three hours ago. Ever since then he's been like a stone slab.

' _Because of his memory loss or a tragic event?'_ She deduced.

He is a mystery that is for sure. Yet as the elevator reached its peak, the sun beaming to his profile, giving him a glow that made it seem to just fit into Mira's mysterious landscape. Out lining his cold visage like one of Primordia's rough hills. He maybe odd, but he fits right in on this planet.

As the bars lowered, Fenrir walked ahead. Undaunted by the steel walls of NLA. Just like when he saw the hills of Primordia for the first time, or when those Grexs attacked.

' _Whatever his past life is, one thing is for sure. It was not a normal one.'_

Fenrir allowed her to catch up and lead her over the railing that over looked at city. A still growing city but a city none the less. He couldn't see much form this distance but there are homes bunch together on one island with trees and what looks like a park. On another island there looked to be a bar, a few stores, and maybe a shopping mall. The largest thing in the city, and most ominous, he has to guess, is the large tower in the middle of it all. Numbers, their meaning unclear, counting down to something while a percentage hung over them. Either it was a lower or rising one is even more unclear then the sliver towers presences. There dots walking around. People, civilians, families walking around on the islands. The city is far from complete with all the islands disconnected from each other, yet it is clean and bright in sun. Something he's hasn't seen much of. Or so he feels.

Elma leaned forward on the railing. Taking in a deep breath of the city air. She smiled, the air is crisp. Clean like water for a spring.

"Well? Here we are." A small breeze form the height made her adjust her hair a little. "No too shabby, huh? "

"For beached space ship anyway." She laughed at how odd it was to think this would be a suitable place to live.

"But…like it or not this is out home now."

' _Home…'_ It means familiarity. It means peace. And yet she can't really call it that, can she?

Ignoring those thoughts she turned to Fenrir, her smile small. Warming. Welcoming him to his new home, he guessed.

"We call it New Los Angeles. After the city it was molded after."

He took a step forward, looking at the roads, the cars, and the people. Buildings and towers around the city. This place.

He doesn't remember his home, or anything really but he has to say. He really hoped his home was like this. It would make a nice memory.

"Welcome to NLA."

He stood over the railing to take all in. This city is the last place of humanity. There is no other planet. No other ship. No other place to run to.

The people. The homes. The Skells-

"Skells?" He muttered. Wondering where the name came from. He took a moment to look and only form him to find gaint mech suits.

"Did you remember something?" Elma asked.

"Skells." He repeated the word. While happy to remember anything, Fenrir is disappointed it just the name for gaint robots.

"Hmm. Maybe you were a pilot? But…" She shook her head. Making wild guess isn't going to help anyone.

"How about I give you a tour? You may find something to jog your memory."

He nodded, not really having a choice in the matter.

"Great. Let's start off with your living courters." Elma led him to another elevator that they took down.

"Brave citizens of New Los Angeles; Good day."

As they descended, a voice sounded form the large tower looking over the city. Fenrir looked to see a man in a suit talking in what looked like a news feed. The tan suit of his made him look like an average man in the office. But the coldness in his eyes was rather off putting. As if he has a secret agenda aside from everything else.

"Yesterday, we repatriated ten more White Whale crew members." He announced. "These fellow pioneers will rejoin our ranks as citizens of NLA, bringing them skills and know-how that will bolster our ability to survive-and indeed flourish-here in our new home. This,-"

Fenrir toned the rest of the old man out as they left the elevator. Remembering something with a scowl.

He hate politician.

Although he has a feeling that is more of a reflex then a memory.

"'Director General'? Since when?" Elma asked aloud as they reached the lower floor.

"Two days ago, ma'am." A stern voice and a two pairs of boots, made his ear twitch and turn to meet the two people coming up on them.

Polar opposite is the first impression Fenrir got from them. The male on the right is young, about his age he had to guess. Whatever Fenrir's age is.

His sandy brown hair, and bright chocolate eyes gave him a youthful look. Almost innocent. It didn't help that there was this small mocking smile on his face. The sign of a jokester. A major contrast from his combat gear he has on. Yet there no doubting the blaze of fire in his eyes. Something that put the amnesiac man on edge as if he has seen those eyes before. The eyes of man guarding something close to him.

However it was the woman who really put Fenrir to rise his guard. While fairly petite, her cold smoky eyes seemed to demanded attention and dared anyone to over step her. The sandy blond hair man him think of Russia. Which made realize he had been to Russia. Which made him realize he can speak Russian. Which made him realize that he just remember that he knows where Russia is and that he can speak the language. Along with a few other languages.

Getting back to the woman, Fenrir noticed that her combat was no lighter than her male friend. If Fenrir has to guess her's is even heavier. Hard and passionate is what he would call her. Ready for a fight at a bang of a gun. While her male friend seemed more laid back, almost easy going, she was stuck up. A woman born in the military.

"Form 'political aide' to 'director general' in just a few weeks….At this rate he'll be emperor by next month." Said the male as they walked up to Elma.

"Irina. Gwin." Elma greeted them and sure enough the raised their hands in salute.

"Nice work out there Ma 'ma." Said Irina he guessed.

' _Ma 'ma huh? So she is of a higher rank.'_ Fenrir thought. Her fighting skills didn't seem like that of an amateur, and she is way too composed to for someone who wouldn't know what they were doing. Now the question remains; just what rank is she?

Feeling Fenrir may have a few questions, she decided to get names out of the way first.

"This is Irina Akulov and Gwin Evans."

"This one of the survivors Coronel?" Asked Irina.

Elma nodded grimly, "THE survivor. I only found a single pod intact at Starfall Basin."

Gwin looked perplexed, "Wait, what? What happened to "Ten more crew members"?

Irina scoffed, "Come on seriously? Chausson was never one to let the truth get in the way of good speech."

"Still ever survivor counts." She turned to Fenrir, however she wasn't smiling.

And neither was he as he narrowed his eyes in distrust at her. He let off a menacing aura. Something Irina picked up on real quick, but was not even put off it. She crossed her arms and growled at him.

"You got a problem?"

"Oh boy…" Gwin looked worried although he doesn't blame his superior officer. He wishes this guy was giving him the stink eye. With glare Gwin was getting. It was like having a panther stalk and watch its prey before it pounced.

Elma wanted to shake her head. "Sorry, Fenrir has amnesia. He's not very trusting with new people."

"Whoa! Fenrir? Like that demon wolf thing in that crazy Norse myth? Seriously?" Great. As if Gwin doesn't have another reason to be wary about this guy.

Right. His amnesia.

He sighed and tried to relax a little. He couldn't just go picking fights with people that looked a little off. He was just a little...tense. It probably was all these people around him. It made him feel uneasy. Like everyone's eyes are watching him to make the slightest mistake. He has a feeling in his past life that he can't remember he wasn't really all that good with people.

"I am…sorry." He apologize, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Surprising Elma with his modesty.

Irina blinked back her shock too. She laughed little herself. "It's ok. Coming out of a pod and suddenly fighting gaint alien dogs can make anyone a little jumpy huh? You can get a pass."

She gave him a challenging smirk. "For now."

When Fenrir returned her grin with one of his own, she smiled good naturedly. "You can call me Irina. I'm with the Interceptors."

Seeing the fire between them die down, Gwin introduced himself too. "Me too, same division. You can call me "'Mr. Evans.'" He said in jokingly. Until he noticed the cold stare he got from Fenrir.

"Or er just Gwin. Hey you're not going to like eat all of NLA or something right?" Gwin meant as joke on Fenrir's name, but with way his hair is and how wolfish he looked, he wouldn't be shocked it Fenrir suddenly grew fur and started scarfing down civilians.

Said man gave Gwin a raised eyebrow, but stayed silent. Making Gwin feel even more out of place.

"Don't Worry." Elma said with a grin. "Fenrir doesn't talk much."

Fenrir then looked at Elma, his eyes filled with questions.

"Hm?" She asked. Looking at him for a moment to understand his question. "Ah Right. Let me explain then." She said confusing Irina and Gwin.

"The three of us were in the Coalition forces together-specifically the Special Operations Heavy Armor Training Unit. Or the "Skelleton Crew.""

 _'Never heard of that.'_ Fenrir thought. Hoping that could have brought up something.

"I was a colonel," Elma continued. "And Irina a lieutenant-Gwin was a more recent recruit."

She crossed her arms in a huff, "Course, I keep telling them we don't need those old ranks anymore no that we're here."

"You're still 'colonel' to me, ma'am. No reorg will ever change that." Irina said. Her eye lighting up with near shameful admiration for Elma. "And that's not about chain of command, either. It's about respect. You've earned it."

"And the award for best ass kiss goes to er…"

A sharp stare form Irina shut Gwin up swiftly.

"Well, I'd remind you both the 'ma'ams aren't necessary if I thought you'd listen…." Elma sighed.

Fenrir looked at Elma not in a new light, but with more curiosity. This Irina woman doesn't look like someone who will give respect to people lightly. Just what did this Elma do to earn it?

"All right, ma'am-we should be getting back to work." Irina and Gwin saluted her proudly and in good form. Something that made Fenrir's eye twitch and feel a little sick.

"Until next time, Colonel."

With that they dismissed themselves. Leaving Elma alone with her forgetful friend.

"We should head out too. What's wrong?" She asked when she noticed him looking a little green.

"I just remembered something…" He grumbled.

"Yeah?"

"I hate politicians _and_ the military…" Fenrir started walking down stairs. Hoping the lower air would clear his head.

Elma laughed at that, "Well then you're going to love it here."

Fallowing him down, Elma directed him. "The administrative district isn't far from here. That's where you'll be calling home-for now, anyway."

Fenrir nodded his eyes catching the many crates and workers running around and working none stop. Buzzing like bees and working like ants. One man, with stack of papers almost ran into him.

"The industrial district can be a little crazy this time of day." Elma said. "When we get to the barracks you should wash up and-"

She stopped her conversation when a sight she never thought she see take her eyes to the sky. Fenrir fallowed her eyes sight to gray skell flying in the air over them. It tattered a little and wobbled too. But it stayed up right, gliding through the air.

Until a part blew as sored over them nearly taking of their head and slammed into the distant with loud crash.

A military jeep screeched and burned down the road beside them. Nearly hitting Fenrir as it blur past. He barely caught a glimpse of the driver, a young girl with short black hair held back by pins, gunning at the wheel. It took him more than by surprise. Yet for reason it wasn't her age that through him off.

Before he could think more on it Elma nearly rolled her eyes unprofessionally and stomped to the crash site. Nearly leaving him in her dust.

The jeep skidded to a stop and the girl hopped out of the car and rushed over to the down smoking mech. She popped the hood and a large body came out, covered in armor, and tearing its helmet to the ground in frustration.

"Damnit!"

Now Fenrir can tell this man belong in the military. It's the nearly fully shaved head and gaint frame he is carrying around. He clicked his teeth and roughly wiped the sweat form his eyes. The stared at the young girl who was looking at her device. Scratching her head in confusion.

"Hmm…" She said, walking around the skell and inspecting it.

The large man hopped off the robot, "Look, I know what exhaust smells like," He grieved. Parts of his chocolate face covered in in black sot. "And it was exhaust in the cockpit."

"Just check the duck work would ya." He crossed his arms, rather annoyed.

"Oh, I'm checking." Said the girl, eyes glued to her device. She's shorter then Irina and Elma. He had to guess she comes up to the middle of his stomach. Yet she didn't seem deterred by the boorish man's words.

"I just seriously doubt-Hey, look at that! The intake/ exhaust bypass is reversed." She said as if she was reading the Sunday paper. "Oh man. It's a good thing I caught that."

"You CAUGHT that?" Argued the old man. "You're the one who cleared me to fly!"

Elma took this moment to step in.

"Everything okay? It's not like you to flub a flight check, Lin." Elma and Fenrir walked up to them. "Good thing you had a rugged pilot like Doug at the controls."

Fenrir's eyes fallowed the names corresponding with the people. Lin, the little girl, and Doug, the brawling military man.

He seems to be meeting polar opposites all day.

Where Lin coal black eyes held boundless energy for someone her age, Doug's cool brown eyes fit the grizzled war veteran to a T. Fenrir could see all the battles he had gone through with just a simple glance at them. They hide nothing, which made him wonder if that's a good or bad quality to have.

"Oh, hey, Elma!" Lin rushed up to them with a smile. "How'd it go out there?"

Then she noticed the tall man standing next to. His green gazing down and studying Lin. It scared him really. Natural instinct would tell any man to lower their guard for a girl this young. Yet it was only raised higher. Maybe, while her eyes held that energy of someone so young, there was not as much innocence in there as he would expect. It put him a little on edge.

Lin, however, didn't noticed this. All she sees is a tall man standing up straight, with a Grexs bloody knife on his side. His skin a sun kissed tan with a few recent scars and scarps on his arms. His hair is a messy bundle of black spikes with two white cat ears on his head, and the middle part of his bang is also white.

"And…would this be…one of the, you-know-who's?" She asked, still giving him a once over.

Elma nodded plainly.

"Cooool…" Lin said much to his surprise. He was giving her practically the same look he was giving Gwin and Irina. A man and woman with years of combat experience are weary of him, yet this little girl isn't? Not that was his goal, to scare people with his stare; that's just how he looks. For a young girl like her to just shrug that off gave him a real reason to watch out for her.

"I am Lin lee koo-mechanic and top all-around fix it gal for BLADE." She introduced herself.

"Fenrir." He said plainly.

"Pretty cool nickname." Doug said, nodding to Fenrir with a smile.

"Not my nick name." Fenrir responded coolly. Making Doug blink at the odd response.

Then he looked to the skell his head titling.

"Um…." Lin looked at him. She watched him as he crossed his arms with his head titled looking at the skell.

Lin looked at him for a second. Then copied him. Crossing her arms and titling her head while looking at the skell.

"Hmm." He said.

"Hmm." She said.

"Uh Elma. Is he ok?" Doug asked, looking at her new friend more than a little concern.

"Yeah. He's just not all that good at talking. And he has amnesia." Elma grinned enjoying the duo's antics.

Doug looked god smacked. "What?"

"He's wondering what wrong with the exhaust." Elma explained to Lin.

Fenrir nodded, looking at Lin.

That made Lin jump, "Ah, yeah, well that…uh…" The poor girl turned red. Embarrassment that he noticed. "That…doesn't normally happen."

"We know it doesn't Lin." Elma comforted her, then looked to Fenrir who was still looking over the Skell. "I know what you're thinking, but believe me. She maybe only thirteen but she's actually one of our top talents."

"Most of the time that is." Doug teased. "Most of the time."

However he shook his head at that, it wasn't what was on his mind. He was actually just wondering what was wrong with the skell.

"You're a mechanic too!?" Lin sounded a little excited at the thought.

But Fenrir shook his head, "Don't know."

Fenrir sighed, looking at the skell brought nothing to mind but a few random skell parts. He is definitely not a mechanic, but it looks like he knows his way around a skell.

"He has a case of memory loss." Elma explained, making Lin do a double take. "Probably hopping the skell would kick start something?"

He shook his head, nothing but a fog.

"Really? That sucks." Lin sounded depressed for his sake. Her out right concern for him made him blush a little, not used to someone caring like that. Turing his head away, nervously scratching his cheek.

"Don't worry about it…" He said quietly.

Lin then perked up, smiling at the two, "Hey, you guys heading to the barracks?"

"Yeah." Elma answered. "Why do you ask?"

Lin giggled a little in excitement, pushing her fingers together in a nervous but cute way. She looked at Fenrir with a big smile. "As long as you're here, why don't I take you on the transport? It's a great way to see the city-I'll give you the grand tour."

Fenrir nodded, while Elma agreed with him. "That sounds like a great idea."

Lin turned to Doug, her arms crossed and losing that childish fun loving aura quickly. "All right Doug that's it for today. You can clean up here and dock the skell."

Doug looked to fall over. "What!?"

Lin walked to Fenrir, grabbing his hand and started dragging him along. "Don't mind the exhaust. I'll take care of it tomorrow."

"Don't mind it!?"

Fenrir looked back, about to voice his concerns.

"Oh don't worry about him." Lin said a tad too calmly. "He's a big boy. He can clean his messes."

"Yup," Elma said, her smile rather scary as she pushed him forward. "A real man takes responsibility for his actions."

Fenrir wanted to say something about it not being Doug's fault but the girl's grins made him calm up. He heard poor Doug echo in the back ground as he is pulled along by Lin and Elma.

"Why am I cleaning up your mess in the first place!? Lin? LIN!"

 _'Sorry Doug.'_ Fenrir sent out a quite prayer.

* * *

"No bad huh? You can see eeeverything form up here."

Lin said form inside heilacraft, sitting next to Elma. Fenrir was across form them peering out into the city. The craft is small but not tight. It gave everyone enough room to move and breath.

Elma smiled at Lin, "Beats walking that's for sure."

"'The best way to see NLA'" Lin quoted with a grin. Her cool midnight pearls shined in the sun as they she looked down to the city. "I never get tired of this view…it's like a different city, every time."

Elma agreed with her, "It's certainly come a long way in the last few weeks…but there's still so much to be done…."

They still need to connect all the roads, and expand each district as more people are found. Then there still defense to put up, finding out which foods are edible on this planet. And that stuff is just the basics.

Lin shook her head in agreement with her, but smiled none the less. It seemed nothing could break her bouncy mood.

"One day at a time."

"Speaking of which," Elma said. "We don't really have that much time for a full pleasure cruise here. Why don't give us the express tour Lin-just the highlights."

"You got it." Lin coughed as she stood. Pretending to be holding a mike as she out stretching her arm like an announcer introducing a play and joyfully spoke to Fenrir like a cheesy tour guide. "New LA is divided into four districts. We departed from the industrial district-where Doug and I were conducting the test flight. It has food production, Skell development…you know, industries and…stuff… aaand he's not even listening."

Fenrir eyes are glued to the passing world outside the window. Looking deep in thought.

"His not much of listener too huh?" Lin deadpanned as she sat back down, disappointed.

"Don't let it get to you too much." Elma counseled her.

"Yeah I know I know." Lin waved it off with a sigh. "You picked up a real odd ball Elma."

"Odd ball isn't exactly the word I would use, but it is accurate description."

"At least he didn't freak out like other people do when they found out how old I am." Lin giggled a little. "Do you remember Gwin's look? His eyes looked like they were about pop out his head!"

"While it is not every day that people met someone so young and is highly skilled in this field." Elma had to admit herself she was a little shocked too when she first met Lin, but that shock turned quickly into acknowledgement and respect for her. And it's same for nearly everyone in NLA.

"W-Well I wouldn't say that…." Lin blushed at the complement. "I just hope he's not like James and keeps quizzing me on Skells to see if I 'hiding anything'." She groaned, remembering why she tries to avoid the south side of the industrial district.

Elma eyes gave a look of understanding, "People like that will come around. We all have to work together to make this work. No matter our age, rank, color or beliefs."

"Age is only meant as tool to measure how long we have to live." Fenrir suddenly spoke. All eyes turning to him, yet his were still out the window. "It does not define our thoughts, maturity, skill or even our wisdom. What makes us who we are, are the experiences in life that we go through. A seven year old boy with a gun can just as easily kill man and as a man another man can."

He looked at Lin, not with sympathy, but with experience. As if he has seen what he was saying.

"When I looked at you I saw an equal-a woman doing her job just like anyone else."

The air in the room became extremely heavy when Fenrir was done. He turned a little red and averted his green eyes elsewhere. "Um and you could continue your tour. It was…nice."

"Like I could after that!" Lin shouted out. Her face a glorious shade of red. "Geez you don't just say stuff like that out of the blue! Saying you see me a-as a w-woman…" She started stammering. "I mean I am happy and all but-you just- what do you even mean by- arugh!"

She finally gave up with Elma laughing at her reaction, "You've must have been quite the smooth talker huh?"

That got him to turn red, and turn his gaze back out to the city as the pasted the residential district. Maybe he should just keep his mouth shut until he gets this talking thing down.

* * *

The landed in in front of the tall tower in the administrative district. The heilaplane touching down softly.

"Here's the administrative district." Elma announced as she walked off the plane with Lin beside her-her face still red- and Fenrir behind them. "This is BLADE tower where most of the government businesses is done."

Fenrir looked up at the tower. Up close it isn't as oppressive. The red BLADE logo looked very proud as it hung over the entrance. Like the industrial area, many people are move around. Running, jogging and walking form place to place. Some with paper work, others with guns. And speaking off Fenrir noticed the security around here is a lot tighter then it was back at the gates. Instead just one skell guarding it's now two with their assault rifles armed and ready like the two soldiers in front of the doors.

"We'll save the rest of orientation for once we're back at the barracks." Elma said. "Then I should file my report."

Putting her hand on her hip, Elma smirked a little. "They'll be eager to hear the details on how I found, I'm sure."

"Well then," Lin coughed, getting rid of her blush. "Let's not keep them waiting shall we?"

She pointed to the left side of the tower, "The barracks are pretty close actually-just around that corner."

"We'll passing through armor alley, but let's not get side track oaky?" Elma advised. "We can drop by there later."

Armor alley wasn't really and alley as it was a small strip with military types looking over weapons and battering for wears. Fenrir saw something he recognized -longswords, pistols, sniper rifles, a few spears-but one weapon was floating over a woman's head. Hovering and targeting anything that moved.

"Yeah those are psycho launchers. Pretty cool aren't they?" Lin said and he agreed with her.

"But those things are peas shooters can't compare to my baby." She boasted making Fenrir tilt his head.

"Lin uses a Gatling gun." Elma answered his unspoken question.

Fenrir looked at the young girl with a raised brow, once again noticing the huge contrast in appearances with her.

"What? More bullets more fire power right?" She giggled.

He was mostly worried about how someone so small could even use something so big.

The reach a golden door at the end of the alley. It was latterly in the corner of the whole circle.

"And here we are-the BLADE barracks." Explained Elma. "Consider yourself as a guest until we get you registered."

Elma offered him a smile, "Feel free to come and go as you please."

"What do you mean by 'Registration'?" Fenrir asked.

"I think I can answer that one."

They all turned to the voice that forced their attention. The man poured off an air of prestige around him. And it wasn't form his fancy black suit. No. It's the noble authoritative stance, yet humble to everyone. It's the light brown eyes that glowed red hot with wisdom. The scar on his chin that traveled up to his upper lip did not distract from his grizzled rough features.

Those wise eyes looked into Fenrir's green ones. "So…you must be the latest rescue."

Fenrir didn't say anything. Far from intimidated by this man, he seemed to respect him. While he doesn't know where his dislike for the military is, a man like this, weather Fenrir likes it or not, deserved respect. But he did not let the fire in his own eye simmer in the slightest. If anything, that flame grew.

"Secretary Nagi!" Lin swiftly greeted him as she noticed the stare Fenrir was giving him.

"Ms. Koo." Greeted the secretary. "Chipper as always, I see."

Lin smiled, "What can I say? Pep is my middle name."

"I ran into Doug Barrett on the way here, and he didn't seem quite so upbeat." There was this glow in this 'secretary's' eyes. "Anything about today flight test I should know about?"

"N-No..? Nothing to worry about." Says the girl with shifty eyes.

"Good. Be sure it's stays that way." He then turned to Elma. "More importantly, Elma- you found another one. Excellent work out there."

Elma shook off the praise. "Just doing my job Mr. Secretary."

He turned back to Fenrir, "Now, as for officially registering our new citizen here…"

"Why don't we talk inside?" Elma suggested "There's a lot of ground to cover-it could take some time."

"That and I think our friend here could use a shower and change of clothes." Lin added.

"Ah yes. Of course." Nagi bowed his head a little in apology. "Forgive me-you must be weary form the stasis and your journey back to us."

"Hm." Fenrir grunted. He was a little tired, and nearly covered in monster blood.

"Please-after you." Nagi offered.

"I'll put on some tea." Lin said as they all walked inside.

* * *

 **Hopefully the first three chapters are the only one's I'll retell. Although I have a feeling that's a big fact NO.**

 **Anyway thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Xenoblade Chronicles X**

Chapter two

Walking out of the shower, Fenrir wrapped a towel around himself feeling really refreshed. He rubbed the mist off the mirror in the bathroom, and understood why everyone is so weary of him. He really is a little off putting. The spiky hair, the savage green eyes, the strong jaw line. Attractive yes, but in a more wild sort of way. His spiky mane tickled the nape of his neck. And there is this odd glow around his eyes. He opened his mouth to check for fangs luckily finding none. He is starting to feel sorry for all the people he met.

Putting his looks aside, he still felt nothing coming to mind.

He tried to check his pockets for some form of I.D but he only found a one hundred thousand credits. Where'd he get those credits, he has no clue. All it can tell him is that he maybe some rich kid or something.

He can add that to the list of things that don't really help much. Like what a skell is, and that he can speak at least ten different languages including Russian. Now that he thinks about it also Mandarin.

And Japanese. And Creole. And-

Ok so he speak over a hundred languages now. But that was only a guess really. What he truly knows is how to fight. More specifically, he _can_ fight. He doesn't really know how. Hell doesn't even think he has a certain style. He…thinks its tae kwon do, no Karate and a mix of Kong fu. No wait all three and Muay Thai, no actually-

"Argh!" Fenrir growled at the headache coming on. Running his hand threw his hair in frustration.

Nothing is coming to mind! No family, no names, not even his job! Whatever the hell a guy who know a bunch of martial arts, fifty different languages, and is good with money even dose!

He sighed, giving up. To be honest he is even wondering why he was even trying to remember.

The Earth is literally dust in the emptiness of space. Whatever life he had, is gone. He can start anew here. But something left him incomplete. Unwhole. And that was in his memories. That something is inside him and he has to find it.

He took another towel to dry his hair.

Fighting. That's the only thing he can do. This BLADE seems to do that in spades. Joining up with them could help with his memory problem. He looked at the clothes they had set out for him.

A black jacket, white shirt, and white jeans.

"…Well it's either this or wondering around on this planet to get eaten." Fenrir mumbled to himself and got changed.

"Hmm, interesting." Nagi rubbed his chin in thought after listening to Elma's report. "And he's the only one you found?"

"Yes." Her, Lin and Nagi are in the briefing room. Standing in front of a holo table listening on how Elma found Fenrir. Said man joined them, looking a lot cleaner after a nice shower.

"Hey! How do you feel?" Lin greeted him and he nodded back to her. He is glad to be in cleaner clothes.

"I hope the clothes fit." Elma said. "I was only able to guess your size."

They fit fine. Which is kind of scary that she was able to find out he sizes by just looking at him.

"I believe it's time I formally introduce myself." Said the secretary, getting everyone's attention. "My name is Kentaro Nagi. You may remember me as captain of the White Whale, but now I serve as Secretary of Defense here for New LA. Although…"

Kentaro shook his head in disagreement with himself, "Saying you 'remember me' would be wrong. Elma's told me about your memory loss. You don't even remember your own name correct? Form the stasis?"

Fenrir didn't really know whether to say yes or no to that. Never the less he agreed.

"Sometimes when people come out of stasis form a long time, their memories get all jumbled up because they've been sleeping for over a year or so." Lin explained.

"Right." Kentaro nodded to her. "So try not to let worry you too much. It will come back to you."

Fenrir crossed his arms, nearly stopping himself form scoffing in protest. It's rather easy for him to say since he's not missing something in his life.

"Anyway, the provisional movement has taken with keeping the peace, so all military and police matters fall under my jurisdiction."

"He's also my superior officer." Elma added. As if he being a secretary wasn't enough of a bigger status. "And he'd be an excellent person to talk to when you're ready to start looking for work."

"What about a job at BLADE?" He suggested. "From what you've told me he seems more then capable."

Fenrir actually agreed with him. Nodding his head with Kentaro.

"Now hold on." Elma halted them before they could sign any papers. "You barely know anything about us, and being a BLADE is more than just killing indigens and rescuing people."

Elma shook her head, "At least wait until you know more to make a full decision."

"Ture. Although it's only been two months since we've got here so it shouldn't take too long for him to get caught up."

Elma agreed, "I was thinking the same thing."

She turned to Fenrir, "Well then where should we begin?"

"What is BLADE exactly?" Fenrir asked the first question on his mind.

"The name itself is an acronym." Nagi explained. "'Builders of a Legacy after the Destruction of Earth'. Quite fitting, I think." He let small smirk come out at that but swiftly turned it back to his normal serious frown.

"It's a relatively new organization. Up there in space, we had plenty of provisions, and a crew trained to handle the limited amount of situations we might encounter on our travels…However all that changed after we lost most of our ship crashing down here on Mira."

He brought up a holo image of different BLADEs doing many task. Some fighting the beasts on this planet, others looking over the horizon of what looked like a desert. "We needed food. Water. Search and rescue teams. Surveyors. Police…the list goes on and on. It was too much for the provisional government to manage on its own. So BLADE was born."

"The idea was to have one central organization with different disciplines to fill these various roles." He continued. "Its core was pulled from the Coalition military, so it's mostly former soldiers. However as Elma said fighting isn't our most important duty. Our top priority is to search for-and recover the life hold."

He nodded to Elma who activated another holo image on the table. The light blue 3D image sprang up and formed a tall tower. Unlike the one in the middle of NLA, this one is more spherical. A special design meant to hold something. Stat chats and data feeds popped into the air showing knowledge and Intel about the tower. Some information he understood. Others he didn't.

"Take a look at this." She said. "The White Whale was designed to carry an exceedingly large number of passengers, all of them held in stasis…all housed and stored in the Lifehold. This is a complete schematic of that facility."

"And your main job is to find this?" Fenrir easily summed up.

"Yes." Elma answered, still trying to get used to how his rough his voice could sound. "Only essential personnel were conscious and active during the journey form Earth. But the vast majority were in the Lifehold-ARE in the Lifehold. With any luck there are still in statais-waiting to be rescued. But it's not all in one piece like this."

Elma looked at Fenrir, "It broke apart when we came down like the White Whale and we don't know exactly where all the pieces landed. Not very comforting, I know. BLADE's top objective right now is to find those missing pieces."

The image died down and sunk back into the table. Fenrir crossed his arms summaries the whole thing. If he was to join BLADE he will be looking for this Lifehold most of the time, not really something he could complain about. But it did bring up the question of where could something so big hide?

He shook his head of answering that question since they didn't know it themselves. He went on to the most important one.

"Who were the ones who destroyed Earth?" He wanted any information on them. It would be some comfort to at least _know_ who nearly annihilated the human race.

Nagi shook his head, "They gave us no name. Only demanding earth be destroyed."

For moment, Fenrir saw those strong black eyes become mournful, but only for a moment. "They were two hyper advanced alien species waring over us. Their tech was far advance form our own. We were like infants compared to them. In a single stroke Earth gone. Completely erase form space."

"I…Still wonder if I hadn't been there…" Elma's sudden cracked voice took everyone's attention. "If maybe all of this could have somehow been avoided…"

Fenrir couldn't be more suspicious. What role could Elma have played in all this? What could she have done? These aliens had tech far more advanced than their own, what could have she done that would have changed anything? He stayed quite on the matter.

For now anyway.

Now he knows why he hates the military. Too many secrets.

Her commanding officer, however, disagreed with her. "No one could have known Elma. What we DO know is, without you, there'd have been no Project Exodus, and no escape for any of us." He eyes flashed a look a high appreciation for her. "Did it go perfectly? No. But we are here, and we are alive. We survived."

Elma didn't seem to agree with him, but shook her head not the less. Deep unyielding regret in her eyes. It made Fenrir lessen his suspicious, if only a little. If she can feel glut form something she couldn't prevent, she must have a big heart under that stern exterior. Something he thought she lack. Or maybe it's him who's lacking a heart.

"Ah yes," Kentaro re-sparked the conversation. "Project Exodus. Once we learned the Earth might be threatened, we needed a plan to preserve all her various lifeforms. That plan was the Earthlife Colonization Project. Otherwise known as project Exodus."

Elma took over the explanation. "Those of who escaped on the White Whale spent two years wandering in space."

"It would have been longer if not for…whatever attacked." Fenrir interrupted.

Elma closed her eyes, remembering that day. And the people they lost.

"It wasn't a random attack by just anything. It was the same ones who attacked us on Earth."

"They wanted more than Earth gone." Nagi said. "They want all of humanity wiped out."

Fenrir closed his eyes. Crossing his arms and bow his head slightly. Humming to himself.

He was like that for a few seconds, until Nagi asked Elma, "Is he ok?"

"He's thinking." Lin answered nervously, "I uh think."

Elma shook her head but smiled at the young man's antics. "Fenrir's a bit…out there."

Nagi watched him stand there. Humming with his eyes closed as he thought. "Indeed." He concluded.

"They….maybe still here…" Fenrir said under his breath. "Whoever it is that attacked, both Earth and the White Whale, maybe on this planet with us."

His words hung in the air like a guillotine on a very loss rope.

"W-Wait seriously?" Lin looked a little panicked.

Elma hummed. Thinking of the odds. They aren't in their favor.

She turned at the secretary, "You don't think-"

"It is a possibility…" Nagi rubbed his chin in consideration. "What makes you so sure?"

"Well…" Fenrir struggled to find the words. His grassy eyes gazing at the ground, "They traveled, probably half the galaxy just to kill an entire planet. Then traveled further just to take out one ship."

He looked at everyone, his voice sounding more ominous by the second. It wasn't his words however. It was how he said them. So plainly. So cleaning. As if he has done this a million times before.

"If I wanted to make sure someone was dead, and I am this persistent, I would make sure I could see their blooded corpse before I stopped. And so far, there aren't that enough bodies lying around to satisfy a global genocide."

The room grew hauntingly silent. They've only been on this planet for two months. They've barely gotten out of Primordia. Who's to say that, somewhere on this massive planet that their hunting past is sitting right next door to them.

"…I will talk to cornel Vanham about this." Nagi took the pressure out of the room a little bit. "But in any case this is all to take in. You'll be wanting some time to think. Ms. Koo."

He turned to Lin, "Even I'm tired of hearing myself speak. Why don't you take our guest out for some air?"

"Perhaps a tour of the administrative district." He suggested.

Fenrir looked to the young girl who happy agreed with him. "Yes sir!"

She grinned at him as she started to walk out of the briefing room. "Come on," She said. "Let's keep this briefing brief."

She led him and Elma out of the barracks while Kentaro stayed.

"Those eyes…" He whispered to himself. Fenrir's light green eyes bring back a distant memory. "Where have I seen them before…." However it wasn't a fond thought as a haunting shiver crawled up his spine.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon and the administrative district is still a hustle and bustle. BLADE members covered the streets, talking and running form mission to mission. Elma, Lin and Fenrir walked out to these streets after their meeting with Nagi.

"You know," Elma said to Fenrir. "It's not every day we're authorized to let a civilian tour the administrative district."

"Yeah." Lin agreed. "Nagi must really, REALLY want him to join BLADE."

Fenrir crossed his arms and shook his head. Stating that his going to join BLADE regardless if Nagi wanted him to or not.

"Well, you can handle yourself pretty well." Elma answered, Lin still confused on his silent way of talking. "But there's still a lot learn before we take you."

Fenrir just nodded. Ready for anything they could throw at him.

"Well, then let's start this little tour." Elma turned his attention to the whole district. "The AD is a bit different from the other district. It's got everything a BLADE would need, all in one place without any extra fluff."

Fenrir was listening intently at her, however Lin's eyes grew big at the sight of a skell walking through the middle of the district. People getting out its way but not stopping their own business.

"Get….a load…of that Skell…" Lin spoke in awe of the mechanical marvel. "Even the way that they WALK is sooo coooool…."

"Oh, yeah work it baby…" Lin said in an oddly husky voice for a walking tank. "Mmm-mmm-mmm."

Fenrir gave her a deadpanned look. Wondering just how old Lin really was. But he does have to admit, there is a certain wonder about watching such a power piece of tech walking around like that.

He crossed his arms in his usual fashion and stared at the skell too.

"HMKE-2345-buster sowrd. 3434-DFROM-Aussalt rifle. ZDORX-head piece." He suddenly listed off random parts form off the top of his head.

"Now THIS guy gets it!" However before he could even ask where the hell they even came from, Lin was on him like a hunger tiger. And there was no stopping her.

"Aren't they just the coolest?! Just…everything about them!" Lin went off like fire cracker during Chinese New Year. "The lasers, the force fields, the bipedal AND vesicular transformation?! You ever have that dream where you're inside one and it's just transforming over and over? And over?"

"Uh…" Says the poor little mouse as he stared down the gaping jaws of white tiger.

Elma just closed her eyes. Wondering if she scream before or after counting to ten.

"Actually, I uh…I don't show this to people." Lin said, her face turning into an innocent blush. Looking at the ground, dancing on her toes like a young school girl asking someone on a date. "But I've been working on some skell fanfiction."

And that image was tossed out the window then burn with napalm.

"Hold on, I'll just pull up here, one sec-"

"Lin." Elma said sternly. Dragging Lin out her fantasies.

"Oh…" She looked at Elma, then looked at the shocked expression on Fenrir's face. It would be funny, if not for massive amounts of embarrassment. "Oh, right….Sorry."

Fenrir scratched the back of his head. Feeling a little bad for reacting so harshly he thought of something to try and cheer her up.

"Wha-he-hey!?"

Fenrir patted her head silently. Messing up her hair a little.

"W-what's that for!?" Lin turned utterly red form the sudden contact. Swatting his hand away and fixing her hair. "Geez! I am not a dog!"

Fenrir scratched his cheek, his eyes apologizing to her.

Lin, however just sighed. Giving up on trying to understand him. "Man. You're so wired you know that?"

The weirdo just shrugged.

Elma sighed too, continuing her explanation. "Anyway. Originally, Skells were developed as a defensive measure-to counter potential alien threats. It wasn't enough to save Earth, though-we were outnumber and outgunned."

"Still," She smiled, gesturing to the people around NLA. "Just look around you. New LA has gone form basically nothing to this in just a few short months. We could never have come so far so fast without Skell tech."

"Sounds like a powerful piece of hardware…" He mumbled.

"They are." Elma agreed. "But it's not that simple that not just everyone can use them."

"Well yeah, duh." Lin interjected. "For one thing, only BLADEs are allowed to pilot Skells, and even then you need a license."

"These aren't toys we're talking about-they're complex machines with powerful weapons." Elma added, stressing the use of the mech. "And they're a precious resource-we only have so many of them to go around. It's not easy getting a certification."

"Do you have one?" He asked them.

"Elma dose." Lin said. "She's a great pilot after all."

"A pilot is only as good as the Skell." She added. "But there is some criteria. The details are largely hidden, but basically- HQ only allows the cream of the crop to take the test. BLADEs who go above and beyond in their duties and for the people of New LA in general."

Well that explains why Elma has one but-

"And you don't have one?" Fenrir said to Lin, a little shocked. When Lin's knowledge, skill, and…enthusiasm. She should have gotten a license a long time ago.

"I wish!" She groaned. "But it's not like going to the DMV. They chose you, not the other way around."

"Hmmm…." He went into his thinking pose. With a Skell getting around Mira is going to be breeze.

"Don't worry." Lin shook him out his thoughts with words of encouragement. "If you work hard enough I am sure they'll tap you on the shoulder one day."

"Same to you." He nodded throwing her words right back at her.

"Hee hee! Thanks!"

"Alright, let's head to our next stop on this little tour bus." Elma said walking deeper into the district.

The tour through the district was a long one. They took to the BLADE Concourse where BLADE members took missions and where they met a woman called Eleanora. She greeted Fenrir kindly. Something he found nice. Until she said he looked just like puppy and she wanted to pet his 'ears'. He doesn't know what was odder. The fact that she said that, the fact he let her, or that fact that Elma looked like she wanted to pet them too.

They showed him the Scout Console, armory alley and the tower, all the while explaining what each thing did for BLADE and NLA as whole. Lin and Elma treated him like an old friend oddly. Like they were already comrades for a long time. It was all really odd for him. Not only is not used to people but he's not used to kindness either. Nevertheless, he found himself enjoying the company they brought. And Lin's energy is just very infectious, especially when she's talking about her beloved skells.

However it's seemed Elma was hesitant on letting him join. Or more actuality worried about him getting in over his head. Which he understood. While he dose hate the military, Lin did have a point. You'd have be an idiot or crazy not to join their organization. The benefits out weighted the downside. Which was dying, a pretty big downside, but he was oddly comfortable about facing death.

A tad too comfortable.

But he shook off her concerns. He's going to join them if they like it or not. Fighting is the only thing he can do until he gets back his memories so he might as well make the most of it.

"So," Lin said as they walked back to the barracks. "Did any of that help you remember anything?"

"Hmm…" Fenrir stood in front of the doorway thinking. If he armory, the mission control, anything could help him remember. All he knows know is that he's a fighter, probably rich, and knows a thing or two about gaint robots. He sounds like some rich playboy genius that's fight's crime in a mech or something.

"Dose the name…Iron man ring any bells?" He asked. The just popped into his head, not that it meant anything.

"You mean that really old comic series back in like what, 2016?" Lin giggled. "How old are you?"

He actually doesn't know that answer.

"Lin." Elma chested, crossing her arms like an angry mother. "Try to be a little more sensitive. Being able to remember even something as trivial as that can help. Maybe it was his favorite story as a child."

"R-Right sorry…" Lin apologized swiftly, but he waved it off. Even if he did remember, he has a feeling it wasn't anything too important.

Walking back into the barracks, Secretary Nagi was setting in the couch with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Honey were home!" Lin greeted him cheerfully.

However Nagi merely deadpanned, "Yes. Very amusing."

Giggling Lin wander into the kitchen asking, "Who wants a fresh cup of tea?"

Elma walked up to Nagi and sat across form him. While Fenrir leaned against the wall near the kitchen taking Lin's offer.

"Thank you, Ms. koo but I can't stay for long." He said. "I am just pass along a request form your commanding officer."

"Commander Vanham? Hmm." Elma sounded very skeptical. "Does it have something to do with our new arrival?"

"Correct." Nagi took slow sip form his mug. "He stopped by while you out on your tour, but he said he'll come back, but that I shouldn't wait to ask you."

"Heh. Here we go." Elma laughed, but there was no joy in it as she crossed her arms. "I bet I can guess…"

"You probably can." Nagi set down his cup. "He wants to fast-track our new friend for BLADE duty with a training assignment."

Ngai's voice suddenly dropped a few octaves, mocking someone's voice, "what the hell are we wait'in for?' as he put it."

Elma rolled her eyes, "The dose have commander has a way with words."

"Makes even my pitch sound smooth." Lin added as she handed Fenrir a cup of tea. Which he took with a friendly nod.

"I explained about the memory issues, but he didn't see it as a problem." Nagi shook his head, as if he couldn't believe he was agreeing with this Vanham. "And to be honest, after what you told me and, given our need for BLADE recruits, I can't say I entirely disagree."

Elma shook her head, "Hey it's not me you need to convince." She looked a Fenrir who accepted the cup of tea firm Lin. "BLADE service is voluntary, remember?"

Nagi nodded and looked to the young man against the wall. A cup of tea in his hands. "What say you? Can we count on you to do your part?"

Fenrir let the smell a Lin's home brewed tea gently wafted through his nose. The scent of jasmine and honey. These sweet smells should calm him. Make him remember a more simpler days. Days before aliens blew up his home, before he fights gaint bugs, before he lost his memory.

But it doesn't. And it frustrated him to no end.

"I was going to join you all regardless. I have no memory, and the only thing I know how to do is fight, and even I'm questioning that." He took a small sip of the tea, glad to at least enjoy the taste. "Even if I didn't, where could I go? I don't even remember my own name, and I highly doubt I have family here."

Fenrir shrugged, almost nonchalantly. "To quote Lin, 'I would have to be an idiot not to join.'"

"Alright!" Lin chirped. "Welcome to the cool kids club!"

"Good to have you abroad." Nagi bowed politely while Elma smiled at him.

"Now then, let's discuss that training assignment."

The group had moved to the mission briefing room with Nagi taking the lead.

"We've decided to start you out on a probe installation, just to get your feet wet." Nagi explained.

Fenrir agreed, he heard about probes back on their tour of the Admin district when they ran into a woman named Kristy. It sounded like quite the effective system, however with a planet as big as Mira, task sounds nearly endless.

"You'll be heading here." Nagi brought up an image of the whole Primordia continent. Hexagonal segments covered the entire map of the grassy plains. NLA look utterly out of place with its modern city and silver blow surrounding it. The image zoomed in on a spot a few miles east for New Los Angeles.

"To that white segment. Go there install the data probe and then come back here."

"Got it." Elma acknowledged, her voice sounding more serious, more experienced. It sounded like a true soldier. "East of the city."

"In that case, we can take the east gate out of the administrative district, right" Lin suggested and Fenrir nodded to it. "We should be there in no time."

"I'll leave the details on the data probe installation to you Elma."

"Of course Mr. Secretary." The turned to the other two, a nearly braked at them in the tone of general.

"All right, you two, shall we?" Fenrir almost had the eager to salute her.

"Yeah!" Lin, eager as always, pumped up the rest of the air in the room. "Training or no. Let's go install the HELL outta that probe!"

* * *

 **I actually have the most of the game's first 3 chapters done. I just need the tyrant fight and finding Tatsu. Here's hoping I finish this quickly so I bring in his past. I really want to get working on it.**

 **Anyway, thanks for the read!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Xenoblade Chornicels X.**

"Man, am I gald we pulled an assignment to the east of the city this time." Lin boasted as they walked out of the barracks. Elma holding the front with Lin and Fenrir being in the rear. "It'd be a long walk all the way back over to the west gate."

"Hold on…"

Elma stopped in her tracks and turned to Lin. "Are we even sure the east gate will be open? Last I heard it was still on lockdown form all the high-level indigen activity."

"It was, but they just lowered the threat level earlier today." Lin explained. "The gates are officially open for business."

She turned to Fenrir her cheery smile, "One of our teams must have gone out there and kicked some furry indigen butt, huh?"

Fenrir took his thinking pose. Closing his eyes he thought of who could have taken down something as big as those Grex things while he was dealing with Nagi.

"Hmmm…."

"This…is going to be a thing for him isn't it…" Lin sighed.

His mind's eye found a very stern looking woman and boyish young man.

"Irina and Gwen…" He said.

Elma agreed with him, "Wouldn't surprise me at all. Irina's team is one of our best."

"How does he know Irina and Gwin?" Lin asked, honestly surprised.

"We ran into them just before we met up with you." Elma said. "They were on their way out to an assignment."

"Then that settles it! It must have been them, right?" Lin sounded impressed but quickly groaned. Letting her age show.

"Maaaaaaan, forget this amateur-hour probe baloney-those guys are where the action's act."

Fenrir wanted to say something about girls needed to stay away from danger, but the massive Gatling gun on her back made him think otherwise.

"We'll try not to take that personally." Elma joked. "But that dose remind me…"

She gave the newbie a once over, looking at his choice of equipment.

"Are you sure you want to go out with such little equipment?" She deduced. "While there isn't much of threat anymore, there are still dangerous creatures out there like the ones we fought before."

Fenrir looked at himself. He is still wearing the black jacket and jeans given to him. His weapons are still the same knife he found and gun Elma gave him. He isn't really equipped for a fight with anything with teeth bigger than a blatta.

"Yeah she has a point." Lin agreed. "You do look good enough to eat. And out in Primordia, that's not a good thing."

"Here." Elma send him some credits through his comm device. "It's not much but it should be enough to get you better tools. Head to armour alley, and met us at the east gate when you're done."

"Good luck!" Lin waved him off as she and Elma left him to his own devices.

Fenrir rubbed the back of his head while he walked to the armory. He wondered if he should even use Elma's money with all the credits he has. But if he does their going to wonder where he got all the money. A question he couldn't answer even if wanted. With the limited money he started looking through the items, he tried to find something that would fit his style of combat.

Whatever that is.

He stayed away from things he didn't know about form the top of his head-Psycho launchers, cannons, and Gatling guns-doesn't seem to fit. His eyes strayed towards the spears and long swords, but he felt a two handed weapon isn't right either. During the fights he had, he could feel his right hand sometimes close as if it wanted to grip something. Maybe he duel welded swords, but the swords they have looked too heavy for his taste. And the dagger he has feels right, however its curved edge isn't good for stabbing.

"Hm?" He looked at one dagger that seemed to fit his tastes better. A single edge blade like a katana. He picked that up, now for his second blade.

His eyes glanced at the photon sabers. The flugs seemed to fit. They were just long enough for good reach, and the single edge is great for slashing through bodies-the beam energy meant it was great for cutting through anything. It's like the knife he brought but bigger.

He picked that one up too.

He also changed his assault rifle to a better one, although his eyes did linger on the duel guns. Feeling he has used something similar. Yet he decided to the leave them for later. While speed is important to him, he wanted to keep the fire power. But he took one handgun for insurance.

Satisfied with his weapon layout, he went to his armor only to find he's ok with the jacket and jeans. It was light, durable, and wouldn't get in the way of his movements. But they did have a point, it wouldn't protect him much. He picked out some black combat gloves and some under armor.

After changing he noticed that something is off. It isn't the placemeant of his weapons. The knife on his hip, the saber on the back of his hip, the handgun on his thigh and the assault rifle on his back felt as natural as breathing. The two fingerless combat gloves and the under armor plating is flexible and moveable enough. No it was…the setting he could say.

This, all these weapons, armor, him joining a military faction. It felt really off form him. But it still confused him more than his memory loss. Fighting is the first and only thing his sure off. And now even that has shaken him a little.

He growled loudly making a few passersby give him a weary glance. The more of Kentrao's words of not to worry about his memory the more bitter he got. These feelings aren't going to go away anytime soon unless he remembers just who he is.

"That's what you're going in?" Lin looked at Fenrir's weapon load out and armor noticing it the only difference is that he now has a better gun, a photon saber and some combat gloves. "Maybe you should have gone with him Elma. He still looks like some Simius's midnight lunch."

Elma looked him over. His load out is a little odd. She has seen people duel wield photon sabers before. But not with a knife. Everything else besides the jacket and jeans, seemed rather standard, yet plain. Like he doesn't want to standout.

"She has a point." Elma argued. "You should have gotten something more than just a few gloves."

Fenrir lifted his shirt to show the under armor he has own. Only proving Elma's thoughts.

Deception is his tact. She should have guessed really. While she would have to take him on herself to get a really good assessment of his skills, just by looking she can tell that light movement and flexibility are key to his style.

"Well," Elma concluded. "Some protection is better than no protection. I guess this fits with your style of combat right?"

Fenrir, while still unsure what his style is, nodded.

"Ok then." Elma started to lead them off. "Although we won't meet anything too dangerous. You should be fine."

"Yeah. For something's lunch." Lin mumbled. Honestly worried about Fenrir's lack of armor.

The plains of Primordia did not change as they walked out into them. There's a weird contradiction about Primordia, Fenrir thought. The grassy fields looked like the ones back on Earth. They were green and a little itchy when they touched his skin. They still moved the same when the wind blew them, yet it just feels…off. Maybe it's the few purple flowers he will never recognize, the giant alien wolves, or the dinosaurs who are the half the size of BLADE tower. He knows this is an alien planet, it looks like an alien planet but it doesn't _feel_ like one. The sight are both familiar and an unknown.

"What…the…hell…happened…here?" Lin's sudden disturbed voice brought him out his thoughts.

Not that far from the city, four armed ape like monsters lay died. Some of them lost their arms others their heads.

A very close roar drew everyone's attention to the massive bug a good twenty yards away from them. The size of a building and built like a spiny tank, the monster shook itself clean of its recent kill. The near bronze color of its armor plating covered up most of its body but Fenrir could see the few red pieces of skin the peek out from under the armor that looks like very hard tree bark. It has sickles and spines everywhere, even its four legs are blade like.

"You don't think…that one Cinicula could have killed all these Simius?" Lin asked, still in disbelief.

"Unless…" Elma placed a hand on her chin to think. "This is bad…"

"What's bad? I am not fallowing you." Lin said, taking the words form Fenrir's mouth. He's more lost then any of them. And how could it get any worse then a bug the size of three house stacked on top of one another and spines that look like they could rip through skell armor?

"That Cinicula. It's a tyrant." Elma summed up, making Fenrir even more confused and worried.

"What's a tyrant?" He asked, he's eyes still on the beast.

"It's basically a designation for a more powerful indigen." Elma Explained. "Normally, the Simius are higher on the food chain. With two or three of them easily killing six or seven Cinicula. But the tables have turned in this case."

She shook her head grimly, "And I don't see any other Indigen in the area."

"Tyrants pose a special threat in one way or another." Lin said, once again soundly a lot older then her age suggests. "But that doesn't always mean raw strength-some tyrants will actually register as low-rank when you find them out in the field and engage them in combat."

Elma took over, "But don't let that fool. They tend to have one nasty ability or two and many high level BLADES have come back seriously injured racing them….if they come back at all."

Fenrir crossed his arms in thought. That sounded dangerous. They didn't even have to walk out a full mile to see a beast like this. If someone else came out here…

"We have to take it out." Fenrir affirmed himself. His hand rest on his photon saber. "We can't let stay this close to the city."

Elma and Lin were taken back for a moment at his eagerness. Although Lin more so then Elma since she's seen him in battle before.

"As long as you understand the risks involved." Elma's eyes showed that deep understanding as she looked at Lin.

"Count me in." Her eye's glowed. A blaze with fighting spirit. "The same goes for everyone in NLA, but. If we're going to settle here on this planet, we're gonna have to get used to dealing with Tyrants now and then."

Lin calls Fenrir an odd ball, but to him she truly his the odd one. She's young, bright, and filled with the future. Yet she risks her life like a true solider. Even he if could, he doesn't remember anyone so young being so risky. But then again, is it really so shocking? Earth is gone. Normal conventions, even normal mortalities of right and wrong maybe be tossed out the window for the sake of survival.

"Besides," Lin continued, and odd glint in her eyes. "I can always run away while it's busy chewing on one of you guys."

And once again, Fenrir made a mental note to be very wary of Lin. A cruel joke it maybe, but still cruel.

Elma on the other hand chuckled a little, "Fair enough."

"But don't push yourself you two."

Fenrir however disagreed with her, looking at the gaint beat they may have too. Maybe he should have gotten that gaint titanium sowrd.

"Ture." Elma placed a hand on her chin. Fallowing Fenrir's silent words. "This is going to be tougher-and bigger-than anything we've faced."

"Huh?" Lin was just generally lost in the 'conversation.'

"Got any ideas?" She asked them watching as Fenrir took his usually pose and stared to think.

He opened his eyes and nodded to them. "I'll go high. You guys go low." Then he raced off towards a cliff.

"Hey! What the heck is that supposed to mean!?" Lin yelled after him, only for her to be utterly ignored.

"Hmm. A sound strategy." Elma nodded and took out her blades. "Come on Lin."

"Wait!" Lin was completely lost. "In what dimension dose 'I'll go high. You guys go low' make a sound plan!?" Lin bellowed annoyed as she ran after Elma.

Elma and Lin ducked behind a bush a feet few away from the Cinicula as it lumbered around. Their weapons out and ready.

"So what are we waiting for again? And where is Fenrir?" Lin whispered. Her eyes never tearing away from the gaint bug tyrant.

"Sorry about that." Elma quietly explained. "Basically what he meant was he was going to attack form above to get its attention and we attack from below while it's districted."

Lin blinked. "Elma. How in the world did you get that?"

"I know I know." She sighed. Fenrir's mannerisms are as confusing as he is. It still takes her a while to compeltly understand him. "I'll have to teach him how to communicate better."

Lin's eyes watched the giant Cinicula stalk around the area. Getting impatience form only just staring at the beast.

"What are we waiting for anyway?"

Elma looked at the hill next to the tyrant. And to her credit she didn't sigh at the asudtry of the situation.

" _That_ apparently."

Lin fallowed Elma's gaze on the hill, and she saw Fenrir sprinting towards the edge of the hill with his photon saber drawn. Right above the tyrant.

Lin quickly put two and two together. "He's not going to-"

Fenrir jumped and stabbed his blade in the neck of insect. The beast roared as purple blood spurted form it's neck.

"That's our cue!" Elma yelled as she dashed towards the beast legs.

"That's what we were waiting for!?" Lin shouted as she took out her Gatling gun and raced after Elma.

"Lin! Aim for it's under belly!" Elma yelled as she slashed at the monster's legs. Cursing when she only scratched the armor plating.

"You two _so_ owe me lunch for this!" Lin let loose a barrage of missiles form her gun. They soared right under the beast's stomach. Exploding as they made contact, causing the Cinicula rise its legs. Yet it did not rupture the shell of its stomach.

Elma let a hell storm of her own bullets fire at its exposed tendons. It stomped back down, causing the earth to rumbled form its legs collieding with the ground. Elma rolled out of the way of the rocks and dirt that fired and baslted around her.

"Keh!" On the back of the monster, Fenrir stab his purple photon saber in the bug's neck. It's blood spraying out and splatter his new black jacket. The insect stomped and shook. Shaking and whipping Fenrir around at near break neck force. He gritted his teeth, holding on as the beast rampaged. Continually stabbing at its neck. He thought that bucking blatta was a pain but this hulking bug felt like it was going to break his back. Yet his plan is going well so far.

Until he saw giant needles starting to pop out of its back.

' _Oh crap.'_

He ducked his head as the spears fire in the air like rockets.

"Elma!" Lin screamed as she saw the spires fall from the sky. "Watch out!"

Elma looked up to see the spires dropping form the sky and cursed. She fired her guns at them popping a few of them while she ran for cover under the tyrant. They bombarded around her. Slamming into the ground and blasting into pieces, creating craters in Mira. She slid under the belly just before another detonated.

Lin ran, jumping side to side. Nearly avoiding the explosions just by a hair. A spear fell just a foot away from her as she dived and slammed her shield to the ground. The shockwave of rock roared over her barrier.

"Ok…" She grumbled. "Nasty special attack check." She peaked over her shield to look at the Cinicula as Elma continued to fire under it while Fenrir tried to wrangle it form above. "He's definitely a Tyrant." She jumped back into the fray with her Gatling gun.

Fenrir continued to stab at it's neck, trying his best to find the beast's carotid artery. Although in hindsight, the monster may not even have a carotid artery. He cursed when there was a particularly hard toss that jerked him to his left. He hung on to his blade's handle as he is flung around.

The Cinicula roared in pain. Shaking and stomping at the ants that bite at him. Fenrir raised his saber again yet was his launched into the sky by the Cinicula rising its claws up. Sprawling in the air until he crashed into the side of the cliff and plummeted to the ground.

"Fenrir!" Elma yelled out of concern for him as she jumped back form powerful stomp. But, in her concern she miss stepped and was knocked back herself by its front legs smashing the ground in front of her. The sudden tremor sent her airborne, gliding through the air and slamming into the base of a tree.

"Geh!?" She grunted in pain, swiftly regretting her mistake. She stood to strike back, but the tyrant was already on her. Its jaws raging at her to swallow her whole.

"Hey!" Lin came dashing in, bashing the cingula's face in with her shield with enough force to dent a tank. However it only infuriated the bug as it roared at her.

"Pick on someone your own size you over house bug!" As if taking her tanut, it bellowed and snapped at the tiny pray. Only for Lin to wallop it in the face again and again as it tried to eat her and Elma. When she saw the opening Elma surged past Lin and started blasting away at its exposed neck.

Quickly she switched to her blades and slashed at its neck while it battled Lin. It snarled and turned its attention to Elma. Opening its jaws widely to devour her.

"Ha!" Yet Lin interfered again, protecting Elma with her shield. Having the Tyrant snap its mandibles close around her shield. Lin struggled to keep her shield as the beast tugged and pulled at her. Yet instead of eating her, it shot its head up while Lin clung on to her shield for dear life.

"Whoa!" The young mechanic was toss around like rag doll in the mouth of crazed dog.

"Lin!" She nearly bit her tongue in frustration as she ran up the cliff to try help her comrade, reloading her guns and shooting away at the monster to release Lin. But the bullets only bounced off the hard shell and barely grazed its exposed flesh.

' _Damnit! Not again!'_ Memories of a similar situation rushed through her head. The outcome being two dead teammates. And it looked like history was repeating itself. The rookie is nowhere to be seen and Lin is at death door.

Lin felt her body being thrown and tossed around like she was nothing. Her arm feeling like it was about to be ripped off. She was about to reseal her weapon and fall back to Mira, but when the tyrant reach the peak of one it's as it swung her around, it released it's jaws. Letting her go failing about in the air. Rapidly descending in its maw.

"Oh…" She looked into the inky blackness of its throat. "O-Oh crap!"

A black blur soared up the spine of the Cinicula. Waving through its spikes and flipping over its head, Fenrir aimed his assault rifle inside the beast's throat.

"Flame grenade!"

The blast hit its mark. Fire erupted form its mouth, sending the tyrant stumbling backwards with an ear splitting shriek. The backfire form his shot sent Fenrir right into Lin. Where her grabbed her, holding her tightly to his chest, guarding her as they hurtled into the cliff.

They rolled together for a moment, until they finally stopped. Both of them covered in cuts, by otherwise fine. Fenrir helped Lin up, holding her close so she wouldn't fall. Lin couldn't hide her blush well as he looked at her, eyes laced with deep concern.

She was starting to understand why Elma could speak to him so easily and without much words. Those green pools of his said so much yet so little. She couldn't dwell on the though much as the beast roaring in the background is their top priority.

"Uh thanks. I am fine." Fenrir nodded and let her go. Both of them stared at their target as it screamed and roared. Shaking its head to rid itself of the fire in its mouth. They both tried to think of plan to take it down. Fenrir unsheathed both knife and photon saber holding them both in a reverse grip. He looked ready to jump on the beasts back again, until Lin caught his arm.

"Wait!" She shouted, staring into those forest eyes again. Speaking to them, hoping that she can trust them like they trusted her.

"I need you to throw me." Lin sai-demaned form him.

Fenrir looked at the young girl. Seeing a storm brewing behind those midnight orbs. A violent un-relenting storm that made his own determination falter at how powerful it is.

Seeing this he nodded, sheathing his weapons and took off in a break neck run to the edge of cliff. Lin fallowing at an even greater speed. Ready to put their unspoken plan into play.

They both launched themselves off the cliff face, Primordia's grassy plains looking smaller form their vintage point in the air. Fenrir grabbed Lin's hand, spun, and threw her like an arrow.

"Go!" He yelled as she flew through the air. High above the tyrant as it shook off the effects of blaze in its stomach.

He landed on the ground with Elma with a roll. Reloading his gun and firing at the Cinicula.

"Fenrir!" Elma shouted at him, firing off her won rounds. "Where's Li-"

"She's going to finish it off! Keep its attention!" He replied, shooting off another grenade then rushing to the gaint bug.

Elma was at a lost for a short second, but deiced to trust him. She took out her blades and ran towards its legs, finally finding purchase as they stab and hit meat into the tyrants legs.

Fenrir fired clip after clip into the monster's belly. Dodging it's stamping and stomping as he blasted away. His shots bounced off its shell, but never faltered in his aim at the center of the stomach where a crack in its armor was showing.

An anguished roar was let out as it finally shattered and his bullets started to hit their mark.

' _Come! Five more degrees to the right!'_ Lin's free falling in through the air is coming to a close. Fenrir had launched like iron out of a gun. She knows she didn't but she felt as if she had touched the sky.

With her body spread she tried to slow and adjust her decent to the Cinicula. She turned and banked just so to get the right angle.

' _A little more…a little more…tow more-THERE!'_

Getting her target, Lin aimed her body and shield straight down and she felt herself drop at a breath taking pace. Clenching her teeth at the strain being put on her body.

Like an arrow, Lin shot through the tyrant's neck. Through its armor, through its flesh, all the way through it body. She severed its neck like a sowrd as it gave on final roar before it collapsed. Elma and Fenrir watched as Lin pierced through the monster's neck and crippled its body for good.

"Lin!" Elma ran towards the body along with Fenrir in fear of Lin's safety.

"Ugh! Yuck!" Lin, however, is perfectly fine. Besides the monster blood all over her. "Well…that was nastier then I expected."

Elma gave a sigh of relief, however she still crossed her arms and prepared the scold Lin and Fenrir for their reckless behavior.

"Thanks for the asset back there Fenrir." Lin smiled at him, but the older young man shook his head in disagreement with her. It was her plan that dealt the final blow he wasn't much help.

"Are you kidding? Attacking that tyrant's weak point at its neck was perfect. A little crazy, but perfect!" Covered in blood, and just killed a gaint bug, Lin's energy still held up. "You can be a tad creepy sometimes but you're not half bad."

Elma wanted to sigh again. This is the problem with teaming up with Lin, or why she the only one who partners up with her. While the young genius is quick on witted and as brave as the come, she also has a quick tongue and isn't afraid to speak her mind. Which causes many people to pause, and even get into arguments with her. And Fenrir, while quite, she doesn't know how he'll handle a firecracker like her.

Fenrir rubbed the back of his head, "I am….creepy?"

"Well, more like you have this heavy air around you." She grinned. "Maybe you should smile more. Heck we all should be grinning like morons! We just took down a tyrant!"

Scratching his cheek, he took her suggestion to heart and tried to smile a little.

"Whoa!" Lin took a step back from the fangs he showed off. "Are trying to eat me!? That's way too much teeth!"

"Less teeth more lip. Like this." She put her finger to the sides of her mouth and pushed them up forming a smile.

Fenrir copied her movements, but without his fingers.

"That's it!" She giggled. "The ladies will be all over you with that!"

But to Elma's surprise, he is handling her pretty well. To be fair she maybe just worrying for nothing. Although she can't help. Her pervious team, was somewhat similar to this. And she can't help but compare the two. Can't help but wonder if the outcome with be the same. But looking at the two now, as Lin joked around with him, maybe she can put those worries aside for now.

"While its good Lin's giving you social lessons," Elma caught their attention. "But we have a probe to install."

"Oh right." Lin got back on topic, and look up to her partner. "Let's get this over with so I can take a shower."

Installing the probe took no less the five seconds. It was rather simple. Although Fenrir has a feeling that it won't be all that easy when the probing spot is surrounded by tyrants. They returned to the barracks with only a few scraps but not too worse for wear. Although Lin really needs that shower.

However Fenrir noticed the large man talking to Nagi in the briefing room is rather different. His sleeveless shirt showed off his muscle that looked to be as big as his head. He looked like professional wrestler or body builder that ate another professional wrestler or body builder. On his right arm is a fierce tattoo. His facial hair and square jaw made him look more bulldog than human along with his receding hair line.

"Commander Vanham." Lin greeted as they walked by the table.

"Well now," His voiced littler boomed across the room, almost sending tremors through the barracks. "Look what the cat dragged in…."

He gave Lin a good look over, noticing her dripping in blood. "And dragged is right! Damn kid, what indigen pissed you off?"

"Argh...yyeeah. Um before we debrief and all, can girl clean up a little?" Lin practically begged.

Nagi and Elma nodded their heads and allowed her to scamper off to the bathroom while Elma and Fenrir talked with Vanham and Nagi.

"Sorry we missed you last time." Said with a little humor in her voice. "We could have come to meet you at HQ, you know."

"Indeed." Nagi agreed. "I suggested as much."

The secretary looked at the gruff man, his eyes showing a small amount of competent.

"Twice."

"And we know how much I enjoy being told what to do." Vanham responses was quick and blunt. He turned to Fenrir with his pierces blue eyes.

"Anyway, I heard you dealt with a Tyrant WAY out of your league. On a training mission no less." The commander crossed his arms preparing to scold the new recruit. "That was reckless."

Then he suddenly gave him a smile that nearly split his mustache, "And god damn magnificent."

"Please don't encourage him." Elma chuckled. "I don't need him jumping on the back of every Tyrant."

Fenrir gave Elma a deadpanned look. It's not like he enjoys hopping on the backs of gaint beasts. Maybe.

"Sure sure." Elma crossed, taunting him with a cross of her arms and snarky grin. "And that Suid you decked in the face wasn't unnecessary."

He turned a little red at that, but it was a different circumstance. The beast was charging at him, and he didn't have time to reload. And a simple punch was enough to knock it out so there was really no problem.

"Maybe you should have just used you knife instead?"

He didn't really have a response to that.

"You two seem to get along well." Nagi observed the exchange.

"He has a good head on his shoulders." Elma spoke as if the topic wasn't in the room sending her a tiny glare. "A little bold, and isn't all that well at giving orders. But with a few days of training I think he could at least be decent."

That made him roll his green eyes at Elma's teasing. Vanham just laughed at the two however.

"Well under you, decent is a tyrant killing yahoo. Just what we need."

"Phew! That's better!" Lin rejoined the group after her quick shower. She wore a fresh pair of combat clothes, but looked all the better for it.

"What I miss?" She chirped.

Fenrir crossed his arms while looking at Elma with heated gaze form her teasing.

"Aw come on Elma!" Lin whined. "I thought it was my job to pick on him?"

"Don't worry. We'll alternate the duty." Elma's grin made Fenrir groan. Wondering if it's too late to change teams now.

Satisfied with her teammates teasing, she got back on topic. "So commander, to what to we owe the pleasure of your visit toady?"

"The large man shrugged, "Well I can't just ask Nagi to do everything for me. I'd be out of a job."

Nagi seemed to take offense to that, "Hey, I delivered you the new recruit, didn't I?"

Vanham rolled his eyes at the secretary, "Yeah, yeah. You won the bet. Don't worry about it, all right?"

He waved off the concerns with a smirk, "I'll settle up with you later-you know I'm good for it."

"The 'bet'?" Elma sounded like a mother catching two of her sons in act as she crossed her arms. Staring at the two grown men.

"I'm sure I'm needed elsewhere, if you'll all excuse me. Commander." Nagi spoke and moved faster than Fenrir ever thought the man could. Swiftly leaving the room and everyone else.

"Well, that wasn't obvious at all…." Lin, taking a page form Fenrir, and deadpanned her response.

Elma shook her head, "Heh. Look at you two. I swear, you're like two children excited about a new toy."

Fenrir was starting to wonder if Elma is married, or had some kids. She certainly acts like mother.

"Looks who's talking." Vanham threw he words right back at her. "I don't recall ever seeing you file a request to personally train a rescue before?"

"Is that so odd?" The way Elma said that meant she knows exactly what she was doing. Fenrir is starting to wonder what worse, dealing with indigen, or scary women like Lin and Elma.

"It is before we'd even asked him to become a BLADE, Little Miss Stick in the rear." Vanham bellowed, but not that far off the mark.

Elma just shrugged her shoulders with a cat's smile, "Usually, I ask when I don't get your slang expressions but something tells me to let that one go."

"Enough about that." It appears this Vanham let's most things just run off his large shoulders. "Where are your manners, anyway? I still haven't been introduced to our new recruit here."

Lin took on that role, "Commander Vanham is BLADE's top officer."

"In a past life, I was Chief Engineer on the White Whale. Same idea, basically-someone has a problem, I fix it. You follow?"

The air around this man is completely different form Nagi's or that Maurice. Unlike the other two he can't seem him in a political debate or some type of government office. It's oddly refreshing considering all the stuffed shirts his been meeting.

Fenrir merely crossed his arms and acknowledged Vanham with a nod of respect.

"Fenrir." He said simply.

"Hmph. Not much for conversation are ya?" Vanham scoffed.

"So you still haven't told us why you're here. Form the look of things, I'm guessing this isn't a social call." Elma deuced, getting the conversation back on track.

"You don't think?" Vanham snorted through his nose.

"No." The words came out so fast and so cold, an arrow of ice would have been warmer.

"So let's cut the crap and get down to business."

"Ha! Sounds like you're learning my expressions just fine, Elma." Vanham laughed.

"Anyway, first we need silent bob over to choose and division and pull an assignment."

"What's the job?" Fenrir crossed his arms as he was extremely blunt with his question.

"Straight to the point as usual." Lin chuckled.

"Whoa there ichy-tigger!" Vanham however stopped him cold. "I know you're just chaffin' at the bit to run out there and grab the world by its tail, but you need to choose a division first."

"Once that's all hashed out we, can get into detail about what your first assignment's gonna be."

Elma smirked a little, "I told you he can be a little brash."

She turned to Fenrir to explain, "Pretty much everyone in New LA works for BLADE, in one of several different fields."

It took a while but they explained all eight fields to him in detail.

The pathfinders mostly plant probes. While it sounded basic, Fenrir's only experience says otherwise. Even then, the importance of the job seemed to weigh above all others since it helps plot out Mira, gather information and gets everyone closer to finding the Lifehold.

Interceptors are the shield of New LA. Escorting, helping others, and helping around Mira and others who are in danger.

The Harries are the attackers. Hitting obvious enemies hard and fast before anyone could get there feet on the ground. This division interested him the most.

The Reclaimers are as their name sounds. They go out and retrieve pieces of the White Whale, down skells, items of sentimental value, even people. But their biggest job is, like everyone else's, to find the Lifehold.

Curators are like explores in the basic of terms. They are the first to forge ahead into unknown territory and studying the area for any signs of life or anything important.

Prospectors are miners. They find minerals, resources-things that can be used for everyday life. Not much to say for them, but gathering rock doesn't really seem like his deal.

Outfitters are the supporters. They help and support private arms manufactures with researchers and development of new weapons of the ground and for skells. Not much for combat, but they still are need to create the weapons for fighting.

Mediators are the police of NLA. Anything and everything the people need, they come to the mediators for help. Form getting their cat out of a tree to finding out who killed who in some kind of murder. Dealing with people. Not one of Fenrir's strong points right now.

All divisions are important in help life on Mira be successful. And he isn't really stuck to one. He could be a mediator and still work as Prospector if he wanted. And he could change his divisions as much as he he'd like so-

"Well? We're on pins and needles here." Vanham brought him out of his thoughts.

Fenrir blinked, wondering if he was talking to him for a moment.

"You sure he's all up there?" Vanham asked, giving the young man a wary glance.

"Hmmm. We're about thirty percent sure he's sane." In teased.

"Thirty? What about the other seventy percent?"

This is going to become a thing isn't it?

Sighing Fenrir deiced to go with the Interceptors.

"Alright! Thank god that's over…" Vanham huffed in relief.

"By the power invested in me, yadda yadda; you're officially a BLADE."

Apparently _that_ was an introduction speech to their organization.

Lin and Elma congratulated him, and he simply nodded to them in thanks.

"Now for the job." Vanham stated to debrief them on their mission. "Let's get down to brass tracts."

"Nelson's team has gone missing. Last contact we had, they were installing a data probe out in eastern Primordia. Then nothing."

Elma place thoughtful hand on her chin. "Hmm, Nelson….pathfinders right?"

"Are we talking' indigens here or what?" Lin asked.

Fenrir was thinking the same thing. Besides the BLADE the indigens are the most dangerous thing on this planet. At least h hopes they are.

Vanham sighed, "Your guess is as good as mine. But they did have a skell with them."

"You'd think they could hold their own-or at least run away." The large man shook his head.

"Alright were on it." Elma nodded.

"Ready?" Fenrir asked Lin.

"Always!" The young girl beamed.

"Hmm, this doesn't look like any of the normal claw or bite marks." Lin observed the damage green skell. It's right completely broken off. The rest of the body is littered with holes, dents, and even brunt in a few places.

Night has fallen over Primordia. The aroura borealis shimmed in the cloudy black sky above them. They had traveled for a while, finding the dirt road where Nelson and his team disappeared. Lin looked over the skell while Elma and Fenrir examined the area around it.

"Hmm…" Fenrir noticed the scorched marks on the ground. They are fairly recent. Along with some foot prints. Human and…something else. They're not big enough for any indigen they've seen so far, but they are too big for any human.

"No signs of the team…" Elma noted. "If they were eaten, we'd know it. So did they walk away or were they taken?"

Judging by the foot prints and scorch marks, Fenrir guessed they were taken, or worse.

"Hold on you two- take a look at this." Lin's comm device beeped red as it caught a single. Turning north, she let the signal hone in. "I am picking up an Earth-based IFF signal coming form that direction. It's Pathfinder!"

The direction Lin is talking about is a tower like structure. A devilish tower with spikes pointing out at all ends. Behind are more eerie buildings. Their sliver buildings odd and out of place even for a planet like Mira. Rounded shaped spires, and more spike towers filled the area.

"That…doesn't look natural dose it?" Lin looked at the buildings, feeling un easy about the presence she felt form there.

Elma felt it too. Her blue eyes narrowing at them. "No. It doesn't. It looks like trouble."

Fenrir deduced that too. His hand hovering over his knife.

"I am picking up readings for other lifeforms too. Multiple signals, moving around inside the structure." Lin watched the dots blink on her screen with growing concern. "Elma, you don't think…?"

"We're not alone…." Fenrir said.

"You may just be right." That didn't make him feel any better. And he has a feeling she's talking about more than just his theory. "Those structures are manmade, and look nothing like any of the few ruins we encountered here so far. But the question remains, Are they natives or visitors?"

Lin came to the same conclusion Fenrir did when he met Nagi. "You think it's one of the forces that destroyed Earth?"

Elma dismissed the notion, but didn't reject it.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions. It's a big universe out there. But, like Fenrir said, it is a possibility."

Lin pocketed her device, her eyes filled with worry. "Should we call this in to HQ?"

"Yes, but-"

"Elma!"

Fenrir's sudden warning made everyone turn on their heels behind them. Their lower faces are covered by a masks that looked like some sort of rebreathers. They are huge at seven feet, but that only made their muscular build even more intimidating. Even their hands are big, twice the size of their heads. What few skin they could see under their high tech armor is a sickly white. Rough form combat or just their natural skin.

"You there! Drop your weapons!" They demanded. Pointing their guns at them.

Lin gasp while Fenrir dropped low to the ground ready to fight.

"Stay calm." Elma warned. "We don't want to provoke them."

Fenrir only growled in responses.

"Earth aliens!?" Said one of the five creatures. His voice slightly muffled by his mask. "Surrender! Now!"

"They know about Earth!?" Elma let out a whispering gasp. "Looks like you were right…"

If he was right, why doesn't Fenrir feel any better at the moment? It may just be the fact there are five hostiles pointing their guns at him. He placed his hand on his knife, ready to cut them in two.

"Stand down!" Elma whispered harshly. "Did you already forget what I said!?"

Staying heir blades. Right.

That works all well and good when their enemies don't have a threating aura around them and their guns armed.

Clicking his tongue at her relaxed his guard, if only a little. While she did have point that doesn't mean he's just going to roll over for them.

"They seem to speak our language. Let's try and negotiate with them." Elma turned to the armed aliens. Trying to ease the tension.

"We come in peace. And we're willing to negotiate. If you have any Earth alien prisoners, we'd ask the conditions for their-"

"No negotiations! No conditions!" They point their guns and Fenrir took out his blades. "We have our orders! Death to all Earth aliens."

And there's the bell.

"Damnit! Lin!" Elma cursed and took out her blades, ducking to avoid the alien's fire, while Lin let loose a hell storm of bullets.

"Raagh!" Fenrir rushed the aliens down through their onslaught of blasts form their guns. Strafing through their bullets, he closed in between them. His knife slashing upwards, lacerating him through his armor. He spun low, clipping the other and stabbed his head with his photon saber as he fell.

Another alien came at him from behind, rising his mace to bash in his head. Yet Lin came in was bursting into his side three times the force of a battering ram. She slammed her shield into him, his body flying like a rag doll through the air.

"Rah!" The last two grunted as they tried to swing their maces at Elma only to miss every strike. She danced and spun out of their range. She suddenly kneeled, slashing her blades low, tripping them then ramming them right through their spines in one swift motion.

"So much for the diplomatic approach…" Lin mumbled sarcastically, placing her shield on her back. Fenrir sheathed his blades, thinking he couldn't agree with her more.

"What's the deal with wanting us all dead anyway?" Lin asked Elma.

"Yeah...I wonder." Elma put her own weapons away. "They did mention they were following orders…"

"Maybe someone higher up their chain of command would be willing to negotiate."

Fenrir crossed his arms and shook his head. For a few reasons, five that are actually lying dead on the ground, he highly doubts that. They attacked them first. They didn't explain themselves. They didn't even hesitant. Even if they are just 'following orders' doesn't mean just theses five are the one bad apples in the bunch.

Looking into his eyes, Elma understood his words. "Ture but we can't rule out trying to reason with them first. We can't go on a rampage just because they attacked us. We have to be the better man."

It's hard to be the 'better man' when your head is blasted clean off.

"Elma." Fenrir demand her attention. "I understand we are the invaders here and we can't afford to go to war with even the indigens. But we can't 'stay our blades' when our hands are cut off. I get that you can't do that. But I am not going to die because I need to be a better man and turn the other cheek to someone that just wants me dead."

The brooding man let his dark green eyes glow. "I'll be the sowrd that you can't sheath, Elma. If you can't fight then I will. Whether you like it or not."

Elma sighed, but he does have point. If they are following orders who's to say that their leader isn't as blood thirsty? As much as she hated to admit, but he is right. They can't always be on the defensive. There will be times when fighting is their only option.

"Fine." She crossed her arms. Not fully agreeing with him, but she can't disagree either. Her blue eyes roaring at his own defiantly. "I'll take you on that offer. But you're still MY blade. Which means I use you not the other way around, understand?"

Fenrir didn't back down. "That's if you can handle me."

"Uh mom? Dad?" Lin tasted the waters of heavy air around the two. "If you two are done fighting we have a team to find."

Fenrir mentioned that they can't just walk through the front door. They're going to have to sneak their way in and find the leader of the base.

"Less chances of combat. Lowering the casualties. Good call." Elma nodded to Fenrir.

"So how are we going to do this?" Lin suggested. Looking at the cliff side shrouding them. "There doesn't look like a back entrance."

Fenrir looked around them seeing the cliff side surrounding the strange base.

"I'll take point. Guide you guys in." He said.

"Sure you can handle it?" Elma asked.

He didn't answer her. He only started climbing the cliff side. Although there wasn't that much climbing. It looked like he was running up the side, using the small rocks to quickly jump up and land over the cliff.

Lin and Elma watched amazed.

"Ok." Lin said, sounding a little unsure. "So he was like a ninja or something back on Earth."

"Well…he's definitely something." Elma had to agree. The way he acts, his fighting style, it all seemed to point towards the shadow warriors.

Their head communicators beeped and Fenrir's voice sounded off to them.

"Stay low. Don't make much noise. Filled with enemies."

"And there he goes with the barely a sentence advice." Lin rolled her eyes as her and Elma quietly sneaked into the base.

But his advice is spot on. As soon as the step foot in the base, a steel two legged machine turned its back to them to resume its patrol. It's an odd mechanical marvel with a large gun hanging under it and a tiny robot with blades for arms has its head. They ducked under some bushes and radio their look out.

"Got any ideas to take this out?" Elma asked, watching the robot walk around. Turning its head and scanning the area for any invaders.

None that are quite. There is a inching in the back of his mind that told him he could get rid of this thing if he has the right tools. But what those tools are he doesn't even know.

"Wait." Lin took out her comm device and started punching in some code with her thumb.

Elma looked at her a little off the beat. "Lin?"

Lin's fingers moved at a blinding place. Her deceive blazing through screens, images and numbers. "If these guys can track us then maybe I could use the single too-got it!"

Lin sneered at the walking alien tank, "Let's see how they like this!" She pressed a button and robot suddenly lurched and sparked. Its right leg spasming, its head spinning as smoke fumed out it until it finally fell over completely still.

"Alright!" Lin pumped her fist at her victory.

"Nice job Lin." Elma congregated her. "What did you do?"

"I just let him have a tasted of some Earth alien J-pop." Lin giggled.

Fenrir congratulated her, but remained them that their in enemy territory and should keep moving.

"Right. Come on Lin."

The base is filled with the same aliens that attacked them before and each of them are all heavily armed. Fenrir was skulking about. Telling Lin and Elma when to move past portals, when a guard was coming and basically was their shadow. Not once did the see him. The only time they could tell he was around was when they talked to him and when he had to take out a guard on a one way bridge by pulling him over it.

The base itself is filled with alien tech. Mechs were fixing the pointy architecture with leasers while the alien walked and patrolled around. Oddly enough there are suid in pens covered in deadly war armor similar to the aliens. Nothing about this place looked at all peaceful. Elma is starting be gald for her decision to trust Fenrir's judgement. All this weaponry and tech looked like they are ready to start a war.

"Hold it." Fenrir's voice stopped them by an archway. A few feet away from where Nelson's single is coming from. But two blade armed robots stood in there way.

"Damn." Elma cursed. The base is surrounded. Even with the two droids, there is still a guard and a bunch of suids.

"Even if I take out one of both them, there still the guard and his pets." Fenrir warned form whatever shadows he is hiding in.

"I know. Lin." She turned to the mechanic, who is already tapping away at her device. "Think you can hack into one of them?"

"Even if I could, I would probably only able to get one and let the other one hone in on us." Lin closed her device with a small curse of her own.

Elma turned back to the drones and guards. Her blues linger on the pig like creatures.

She placed a finger to her ear to contact Fenrir, "How many grenade shots do you have?"

He should have about three since he used two on the few indigen they ran across getting over here. One flame and two burst.

"Think you can shoot one in the pen? Don't kill them. Just to startled the pigs."

Fenrir quickly got message and turn his sights to the pin and fired off a round just a little off the side. It blew with a bang tossing a lot of the guards to the ground and sending the robots rushing towards the sound to investigate. Lin and Elma rushed to the side of the building.

"Ok." Lin said looked at the door. "Here's source of the single-gah!?"

Lin suddenly jump when Fenrir landed beside her. "Ok! I get it you're a ninja! Don't do that!" Lin hissed at her partner, trying to calm her heart that was about to burst out her chest.

Fenrir just shrugged. It's not like he could control how quite he can be. He thinks.

"Actually, I am going to need you to keep to the shadows." Elma said, surprising Fenrir a little. He thought she would want him for the 'negations'.

Elma shook her head, "We don't know if these guys are hostile or not. You said you're my blade right? Well I need you to be out and ready to strike if we need it."

He nodded and vanished behind the tower.

"Alright. Lin. You ready?"

Lin nodded, her eyes burning down the door, "Yeah. Let's do this."

Entering the room the met the backs of four heavily armed aliens.

And three dead humans. Bullets holes riddling their bodies.

"They're…" Elma's voice is strained. As if she was stabbed through her chest. "All…dead."

They turned, hearing Elma's voice. Their guns armed and aimed right at them. As she gritted her teeth.

"You killed them all…in cold blood…" Gone was her strained voice now it is replace with a controlled fury.

The leader of the group, the largest of the aliens with the biggest gun, reasoned back.

"Fortune did not smile upon them today." That isn't meant to be words of comfort, yet they held no real animosity towards them specifically. Yet it did its job.

It pissed Elma off.

"You filthy Earth aliens do not belong on this planet." He spoke about them like humans are a form of infestation.

"Judging by how fluent you are, you must be the leader?" Her hands twitched to her guns on her sides. "Right?"

Lin was silent but prepared herself for a fight. Holding her ground and staring the opposition in the eye. Even if they occasionally wavered to Nelson and his team's corpse.

The alien seemed to scoff at them, "I am called Glennar. I command this squad, Earth alien."

He pointed his large green blaster at Elma and Lin. His finger not even an inch away from the trigger.

"Now it is time for you to 'surrender.'"

Elma wasn't even fazed. If anything she smiled. It could be simple over confidence. The sense of death making her rather brave. Or eerie gleam of a blade in the shadows behind the aliens and dark green eyes pierced the darkness.

"Hello Glennar." The polite manner she spoke is anything but. She said his name as if it is bad wine. "If this planet is you home, we apologize for intruding."

Elma is a diplomat through and through. Even with the rage boiling inside her, she still optioned for peace. It is a noble quality of the highest regard. And also the most foolish.

Something Elma's intelligent blue eyes knows very well.

"We were hoping we could negotiate a peaceful settlement in exchange for our friends, but…" She looked at the dead bodies of her comrades. She didn't know Nelson much, even less about his team. Yet the senseless death.

He fist was so tight, her nails drew blood.

"It seems 'peace' isn't in your vocabulary."

"'Peaceful settlement'?" Glennar nearly laughed. His men chuckling with him. "Your words are wasted on us."

Lin looked at Elma. The tension in the room past its boiling point. Its cup is running over and pooling around their feet, threating to drown them.

"Your right…" Elma smirked. "Words can sometimes be a waste."

She raised her hand, her thumb and middle finger pushing up one another.

"So let's stop using them."

The snap of her fingers echoed.

"Guah!?" And so did the cries of Glennar's men.

Fenrir became visible like a ghost. Suddenly emerging out of the darkness and slashing the back of his enemies. While the alien crumbled, Fenrir took off the head with his photon saber, the red beam cleaning slicing through the armor, and flipped over the one that swung his mace down.

By the time the weapon hit air and then the ground, a knife had already cut through his neck and a heated blade piece through his chest. Green blood splashed and poured as Fenrir ripped the blade form his chest and turned to meet the barrel of a gun. Its ghost pale skinned owner sneering under his mask.

"Argh!?" That sneer became a smear on the wall form the un holy plethora of bullets that tore and ripped his body to shreds for Lin Gatling gun. The yellow chambers cascaded to the ground, clinking with glee as Lin unleashed her rage on the unknown enemy species. Her face, however, is calm as the many muzzled flashes lit it up in the dark room.

Her five barrels stopped spinning as smoke came off of them.

"Die!" Glennar brought his mace down in utter rage. Only for it to be stopped by Lin's shield as she brought it up to guard her. He bash and wailed and Lin met him blow for blow. Grunting as her arm stung form the powerful hits.

Fenrir moved to intercept, but was intercepted himself by Elma kicking Glennar twice in the face with flying kick that quickly turned into a flying round house. Landing she took out her blades, twirling them while the captain regained his ground. He charged her, firing his gun multiply times, but Elma was fast. Dodging the gun firing while quickly closing the distance between them.

Glennar noticed her closing and took a brutal overhead swipe at her with his mace. Yet only merely side stepped the attack, and sliced her blade up through his lowered arm then spun to cut off his head with the other blade. His limp body fell. His blood oozing out of its stump while the rest of his body still twitch with the small amounts of life it has in it.

She slashed her sowrd to wipe off the blood. Sheathing them, she looked at her team.

Fenrir was fine, wiping off his own weapon then sheathing it. Lin look no worse for wear either. It's odd. The tone, the spark around the three of them, is a happy one. Fenrir, while rather dark, takes Lin cheerful and quick personality with gentle strides. Lin seems to enjoy his own view of the world, and treats Elma more like a sister then a captain.

They all seemed like a family.

Yet, with the blood and violence she has committed and seen, this is a family with burdens. Lin's bright face is grim, a few specks of green blood splattered on her face. It didn't bother the thirteen year old.

Fenrir is practically drenched in it. His hands and parts of his jacket are dyed with the color green. His visage showed….nothing. More than usual, Elma saw nothing in those deep forest eyes.

She herself is not spared from being tainted. Her right hand is a little green, while the lower left side of her armor has a huge splotches of it.

War.

It is the same.

No matter what planet, not matter what time. Not matter what universe.

War is all ways the same.

She looked at the bodies of Nelson's team. Not a single one of them were breathing.

Walking back into the night air Lin spoke. Her voice heavy, but it is not form the fact that had to kill. It's heavy with worry and fear.

"I don't get it…" She turned to the people who would be considered the adults in all this. "Why would they be so bent on killing all humans?"

Elma shook her head, finding no answer to this. "Who can say?"

She quickly switched back to leader mode and started to break down what is there next move. "Whatever the reason, this is dire news. We should alert the others fast. Let's call it in and head back to HQ for a full debrief."

"Roger that." Lin sounded confident, but the sadness in her voice seemed to overtake that. "And here I'd just started to hope we'd final escaped all this…"

"Escape! Yes, escape! Tatsu also want escape!"

One of the alien boxes started to talk. Making them stop in their tracks.

"Friends! Friends not leave Tatsu trapped!"

Everyone went right back on edge. Lin and Elma dropping into fighting stances.

"More Xeno's!?" Lin cried not to happy to be greeted by more gaint aliens with guns.

Fenrir on the other hand tilted his head. That doesn't sound like an anger killing xeno.

He walked up to the crate.

"Careful Fenrir…" Elma warned, her hand on her sowrd.

He nodded to her, yet before he could full lift the lunched off the crate, it popped open. A bunch of odd looking foods bouncing out it. One of them looked a little green on its back.

Then it stood up to put on its glasses, then it starred to dance around.

"Finally! Dance of Freedom! Tatsu thanks you!"

Upon closer inspection, the 'talking potato' has fur and two gaint flappy ear that moves almost like hands. Unlike his arms which are rather small and a tad stubby. It has a large brown harried cow lick sticking out form its funny looking green cap that seemed to cover his whole body.

"Interesting…one of the vegetables is sentient." Fenrir honesty couldn't tell if Elma was joking or not.

"A talking potato…Wonder if it tastes different, too."

Ok now Lin has to be joking!

….Right?

Although to be fair it does look like something Fenrir would eat at a fancy restaurant. Like a nice fat turkey.

"I know what we're having for dinner tonight!" Lin almost licked her lips like a hungry lioness. "You don't know it yet, new guy, but I am a pretty mean cook."

"You ARE mean! Mean and cruel!" Countered the talking chicken. Hmm chicken based in rosemary…

"Tatsu definitely not potato! Tatsu explain this to dumb smelly Prone when they take Tatsu! But Prone not listen!" The little turnip started jumping up down in anger and on a rant. Hmm, vegetable stew dose sound good. "Prone never listen. All Nopon rue day Prone first set stinky feet on Mira! At this rate, entire Nopon race in danger! Yes! Nopon are endanger species!"

He turned smug, grinning like a cheap car sales men. "So really friends have a social responsibility to protect Tatsu form danger."

"Uh-huh." Lin looked beyond bored skeptical, then brighten with a suggestion. "Whatta ya think, Elma bake or fry?"

He could go for some bake duck right about now…

"Wait," Elma wasn't about to get caught up in their pace. "The beings who captured you-big brutes in armor? Little pointy ears?"

"Yes! Prone!" Replied the over grown apple desperately.

You know what he hasn't had in a while? Apple pie. Although what would be a while in his case? Dose he even know what apple pie is? Sure it's a pie but-

"And they're a more recent arrival here is that right?" Elma continued her detective work. "They're not native to this planet?"

"Not native! Recent!" Once again the little thing grew smug. Placing its hands on its hips grinning down or in this case up at them. "If friends want more details, friends must promise to protect Tatsu. Only then will Tatsu talk."

"Right." Lin huffed. "Elma you hold you, I'll peel."

Actually don't you have to peel apples before you bake them in a pie? Like peaches? Oh! Peach clobber sounds great! He's starting to wonder if he has a sweet tooth.

"Tatsu will talk! Tatsu will talk!" He bounced in fear, nearly begging for his skin. In their case literally. "F-Friends just not get Nopon humor as all! Oh-ho-ho-hoo!"

Elma then summed up everything she learn for the side dish. Speaking of, what would go good with bake zitt? Chicken? Beef?

Apparently the prone aren't the only ones who landed on this planet. They brought with even more aliens that have been terrorizing the natives, the Nopon, for a few months. The prone and the other alien's races seem to be hunting the Nopon to extinction for some reason.

"They all gang up on Nopon." Said the salad toping. Is he a salad person? Maybe…

"They do horrible, terrible things to Nopon. Someday Tatsu will turn tables and eat them for a change!"

Pork! Pork would go great with bakes ziti! How Fenrir knows that he doesn't know or care, since his stomach is starting to growl and his mouth start to water.

"T-Tatsu has seen those eyes before!" He shirked when his gaze fell on Fenrir. Who was in is one little food world. "Hungry eyes, like prone eyes! Tatsu is here to serve not be severed!"

"Yeah seriously!" Lin of all people scold him on his unfair treat of the little guy. "What kind of barbarian would want to eat this little guy, just like that?" She looked down at Tatsu with one her many evil smiles.

"We should take care of him. Wash and clean him. Season him." Normally Fenrir would make a snide comment about that last part of Lin's creepy sentence, but with the way his stomach was going, he is starting to agree with her.

"That's right!" The little dork agreed. "Take Tatsu to your village. Wash and clean Tatsu. Season Tatsu! Er, uh…wait."

Looks like the little chicken dumpling isn't as dumb as he sounds.

Damn. Chicken dumplings sound really good…

"Ugh…" Fenrir groaned. He really needed something in his stomach.

"What do you think Elma?" Lina asked. "Take this little guy and go before Fenrir starts taking out the hot sauce."

He is not going to eat a walking, hairy…Nopon!

...Maybe.

"He seems harmless enough. And he'd be a good source of Intel on Mira and the Prone." Elma agreed with the idea. "Alright. We can debrief him when we report to Commander Vanham. As long as he passes the quarantine scan, we can bring him back to New LA."

"Right…" Lin took out her comm device and scanned him. Finding nothing harmful, she said "All clear."

"Then Tatsu can join friends?" When Elma nodded Tatsu started dancing again. Hopping the on toe to toe the same way he has done before. "Dance of Joy! New friends are friendless friends ever!"

"Don't get too comfy spud." Lin warned. "You make one wrong move and well fed you to our world eating ninja hound dog."

She pointed at Fenrir who wanted to give her a deadpanned look and to tell her to stop her teasing, but his stomach growled too loud for him to even make words.

"And he hasn't eaten for a _very_ long time."

"Meh!?"

On a bench in Deliverance Park, watching the dancing color of the northern lights swirled in the starry sky, Fenrir sat. It was late into the night. Ten thirty two, he had to guess. After the debriefing with Lin, Elma and Vanham, Elma had suggested everyone hit the sack since it has been a busy day. Lin, Elma and Tatsu are in their bed sleeping off today's stresses. However Fenrir isn't even remotely tired.

He had taken a shower, changing out his jacket and combat gear for a tank top and blue jeans. He still kept his knife, but his photon saber and gun are hanging over his bunk in the barracks.

The threats to NLA have just been piling up and it's rather hard to just relax his mind. From the Indigen to now these Prone and their friends. Friends that are the same ones who shot them down and forced them to land on Mira. The dangers seemed to surround them. Elma stressed as such when she reviewed with him while they ate.

Everyone's main goal is to find the Lifehold and to bring back the human race. It sounded simple at first finding a gaint tower, even with the Indigens roaming around, it shouldn't be much of problem. But with a whole species out for their hides, it turned into more of race to see who can get to it first. Then there is his personal problem of him not remember much of anything.

There are so many miss connecting dots he doesn't even know where to begin. All he can do is sum up is findings. He can fight very well, he may be rich, he knows a ton of languages, a thing or two about skells, and, form what Lin said, he's a ninja. All these things combined meant nothing to no one. Only he knew and yet the answer eludes him every time.

He lifted his hand up to stare at the silver charm bracelet. The wolf glowed, hungry in the starry night.

And then there's this thing.

After this whole day he still hasn't learned anything about this goody piece of jewelry. Not a name. Not a city. Not even a color. It's as madding as it was this morning when he first woke up fighting a gaint bug.

He leaned his head back against the board of the bench. A meteorite flew past. Its tail lingering in the sky line as it cut the through the stars. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what, or who this bracelet could mean. Maybe, if he is blessed by some god, someone who knows his past could very well be right in NLA. Or even in the Lifehold.

He could only close his eyes and dream.

Footsteps soft and light echoed though his head. He recognized those steps and the other two pairs of footsteps that fallowed it. The firm steps and the quick pitter patter that tried to keep up with the other. What didn't bother him was the fact that Lin, Elma and Tatsu are up and awake, it's the fact he can't remember how he learn to memorize people by their footsteps or how he can hear them twenty feet away.

Something cold on his cheek made him flinch. Squinting one eye open to see Lin holding a wrapped ice cream bar and smile.

"Heh heh. Here. I hope you like vanilla." She giggled, Lin sat next to him. Wearing a blue tank top and pants, she took a small bite out sherbet her ice cream bar.

Elma sat down with him too in her white shirt and shorts taking a tinier bite of her raspberry ice cream.

Tatsu has as many ice bars as he could hold, which is four.

"Yum! Human sweets are SUPER tasty! Will sell for fortune on Nopon market!" The little alien bounced with glee. Taking a bite out each one of his bars, chocolate, blue berry, cherry, and green apple.

"Careful butterball." Lin warned. "Eat too much and-"

"Meehh!?" He suddenly screamed in pain. "Ahh! Why dose Tatsu's head hurt!?"

"Told ya~." Lin sing song.

"Mmm…" Elma sighed, relaxing on the park bench. "You really can't get a view like this Earth can you?" A cool wind played with their hair for a while

Lin smiled, "You could but…it wouldn't be as magical."

The night lights danced behind the ruby, sapphire, emerald sky. The aurora flowed like waves in the sea. Gentle and soothing almost in hypnotic manner.

Fenrir looked at his ice cream bar. This is probably the oddest feeling he's had all day. This togetherness with his team. This tightknit comradery felt with Elma and Lin, it's less of a team feeling it's more of a family. It's an odd feeling. Not a bad one, but it did make him feel…uneasy? There is nothing he really can compare it too. And it confused him.

Unwrapping the ice cream bar, he took a bite out it.

Huh.

It's good.

"I hope we aren't brothering you." Lin said, grinning unsurely at him. "I was going for a walk and so was Elma, and then Tatsu joined us."

"It's was Lin's idea to intrude on you." Elma said with a sneaky smile.

Lin puffed her cheeks "Wha-you were the one who started walking up to him first!"

"Hmm…odd how you made no move to stop me."

"Ack!?" Lin blushed and tired her head in embarrassment.

Elma chuckled, "Again sorry if we derailed your thoughts. You must have a lot on your mind."

Fenrir shook his head, as he looked on to another meteorite falling. They aren't really bothering. It is actually welcoming. And a bit off putting. It seems contradictions are going to be a theme here.

"I guess it is a bit of a pain huh? Not knowing who you are." Lin said carefully.

He only took another bit of his ice cream.

"Linly tell Tatsu that Fenrir lost marbles after waking up." Tatsu said, after recovering form his brain freeze. "Did Fenrir lose marbles before he crashed on Mira?"

Lin hit her forehead, "Memories not marbles! You weren't even listening were you?"

Well, the little creature isn't too far off.

"I guess, telling you 'not to worry about it' would be a little rude huh?" Elma said.

No, he sighed. He understands why he shouldn't worry about it. What he really should focus on is helping them find the Lifehold. Finding his memory is all well and good, but all that won't really matter if they can't save the rest of humanity. His problem doesn't compare to the worlds, so he may as well put it aside for now.

"Yeah but," Lin smiled. "That doesn't mean you have to stop trying."

Elma gave a reassuring smile, "You've got more than just us to help you out."

So that's what it is. Helping.

The thing that has always confused him and made him feel uneasy around them, is Elma's and Lin's willingness to asset him. It made him worry as to why. Is he just untrusting or just is there something about them that is just off putting about them?

He just took another bite of his ice cream. Thinking he is overcomplicating all this. Yet he couldn't help it. There are so many things going on in his 'life' right now, he really can't focus on a single topic.

"On step at a time…." He mumbled the words Lin did this morning.

"Yeah." Elma grinned, agreeing with him. "Just keep a steady pace and everything will come together."

"Hm." He nodded with the ice cream in his mouth.

"Maybe you'll find out if I am the right 'woman' for you~" Lin giggled when Fenrir croaked on his ice cream.

"Ugh…" He turned red, holding his head with a little shame. He'd had hoped she had forgotten that.

"Ha! Pay up Elma!" Lin snickered. "I told I could get him to blush too!"

Elma chuckled while he glared at the both of them. "Alright Lin. I guess I owe you a new frying pan."

"Alright!"

"Oh oh!" Tatsu sounded rather impressed. "Linly would make great Nopon haggler!"

The young man in the middle chuckled, it looks like he's going to be center of their teasing for a while. That is something he sure he isn't going to dislike.

Lin gave tiny yawn. "I am beat. Let's get back to barracks and finally get some sleep."

"Agreed." Elma said finishing her ice cream. "We all have a big day tomorrow."

Fenrir nodded, taking one last bite of his ice cream. Looking at the bear wooden stick, he noticed it said 'Loser'. He scoffed at how 'encouraging' that was before tossing it in the waste bin.

He stood up with a stretched with the others waiting for them to stand with him.

"Hey, Fenrir." Lin asked as they walked back to the barracks. Her hands playfully behind her back, while he looked at her with his hands in his pockets. "Think you'll have time to help me with so skell experiments?"

He tilted his head, wondering what these experiments are about.

"She basically mean she wants you to be her crash test dummy." Elma said off handedly.

Lin puffed her cheeks in protest. "You make sound like my test are dangerous."

"Are they?" He teased, watching the younger girl grow a little flustered.

"Ah well not really…"

He let out a small laugh into the night.

Past, present or future. His life here in New Los Angles looks to be a fun one.

 **YES! Done with this madness! Now I get just focus on Fenrir's back story and then I can just go crazy with stories ideas without screwing with people's heads! Although in hindsight I shouldn't have gave ten fuzz barriers and just put the dang thing out so I wouldn't have to write this crud.**

 **Well whatever, either way I hope you enjoyed this!**

 **Happy reading!**


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